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This photo shows Juan Rodriguez and his cousin Orlando Flores checking on their 2-acre agave field in Vacaville, Calif., on June 26, 2024. They are walking among rows of aloe-looking agave plants, with their backs to the camera. In the background are a fence and yellow-orange sky.

Juan Rodriguez and his cousin Orlando Flores check on their 2-acre agave field in Vacaville, Calif., on June 26. Their crop was planted two years ago and will be ready to harvest in another five years or so. Manola Secaira/CapRadio hide caption

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Manola Secaira/CapRadio

NPR's Climate Solutions Week

California farmers turn to agave amid drought conditions and climate change

Farmers in California are trying to plant crops that don't require a lot of water. Some are turning to growing agave as a response to a warming state.

Encore: Agave and Latino Growers

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As Americans drink more tequila, the agave industry in the Southwest grows

Leonardo Sanchez kneels beside some of his agave plants near Roma, Texas. John Burnett for NPR hide caption

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John Burnett for NPR

Food

As Americans drink more tequila, the agave industry in the Southwest grows

With the growing popularity of tequila and mezcal in the U.S., a new generation of growers and distillers in the Southwest is trying to create a uniquely American agave liquor.

As Americans drink more tequila, the agave industry in the Southwest grows

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Many Venezuelans Can No Longer Afford Beer, So They're Drinking Cheap Agave Liquor

A cocuy drink made with pepper sauce and fruit juice on a local bar in Barquisimeto. John Otis for NPR hide caption

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John Otis for NPR

World

Many Venezuelans Can No Longer Afford Beer, So They're Drinking Cheap Agave Liquor

Cocuy was once stigmatized as moonshine, but with hyperinflation putting other drinks out of reach, many Venezuelans have turned to this cheap form of alcohol. It tastes similar to tequila and mezcal.

Many Venezuelans Can No Longer Afford Beer, So They're Drinking Cheap Agave Liquor

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Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

The Mexican long-tongued bat is one of the species that pollinates agave, but its ecosystem is being disrupted by large-scale, cheaper methods of making tequila. Merlin Tuttle/Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation hide caption

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Merlin Tuttle/Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation

The Salt

Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

As the tequila industry surges, the early harvesting and cloning of agave are disrupting the ecosystem of some species — leading some groups to go to bat for the hardworking nighttime pollinators.

Bats And Tequila: A Once Boo-tiful Relationship Cursed By Growing Demands

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