A podcast for lovers of wine, beer, liquor (incl. whisky, whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, tequila etc) and cocktails, Drinks Adventures hosts wine makers, brewing and distilling experts, sommeliers, bartenders & more.Mezcal featured in Season 9 of the podcast when we met Grant Collins, who had recently opened the mezcal-focused bar and restaurant Cartel in Sydney.One of the mezcals I tasted with Grant during that interview was Quiquiriqi.And the more I read about Quiquiriqui, the more I thought it would be a grand idea to invite its London-based founder, Melanie Symonds, onto the show.You may also like: The NBA’s wine obsession, with Baxter Holmes of ESPN: S10E1 UK wine writer Matthew Jukes on non-alc wine & more: S12E1 Brewing legend Chuck Hahn's 50-year global brewing odyssey: S11E2 Iconic cocktails: Julio Bermejo, creator Tommy’s Margarita cocktail: S4E8 With no background whatsoever in drinks or hospitality, Melanie's path to being a mezcal brand owner was unconventional, to say the least.She fell in love with the spirit on visiting Mexico in 2011 and returned to London with the pretty half-baked plan – I don’t think Melanie would mind me saying that – of opening a mezcal bar underneath a kebab shop in East London.Soon after came the Quiquiriqui Mezcal brand, which Melanie makes in direct partnership with families who have been producing mezcal traditionally in their communities for generations.But I’ll leave it to Melanie to tell you in her own words how Quiquiriqui came to be.More must-listen episodes: Two Paddocks wine with Sam Neill, pinot noir obsessive: S6E6 Wine critic Jancis Robinson on the changing world of wine: S4E4 Brewing historian Tara Nurin, and beer sensory expert Briony Liebich: S11E6 Cocktails meet coffee with Mr Black Spirits: S8E5 Tags: gin, distilling, distillery, distiller, liquor, craft spirits, cocktail, cocktails, drink, drinks, wine, winemaking, winemaker, viticulture, beer, craft beer, brewing, agave, tequila, mezcal, bartender, bartenders, sommelier, sommeliers, cicerone, whisky, whiskey, cognac, bourbon, rum, vodka, vineyard, mixology, bars, pubs, restaurants