Where There’s Fuego, There’s Humo: Santa Barbara Couple Starts Mezcal Brand

Ask Elliott Reese what’s the one thing everyone should know about mezcal, and he answers, “That it’s not tequila; it’s honestly better than tequila. I know that’s subjective, but if you want an agave spirit — neat — you can’t beat mezcal.”

For some, those might be fighting words, but Reese knows of what he speaks. Earlier this year, he and his wife, Karen, launched the mezcal brand Fuego y Humo and are eager to share their love for this distilled spirit in Santa Barbara and beyond. After working with José Manuel Méndez, a third-generation mezcalero in Oaxaca, their artisanal brand is currently offering three varietals of mezcal and a terrific story.

Education about their product is one of the Reeses’ main goals, and they begin by making clear that tequila can only be made from one plant — the blue Weber agave. That, by necessity, limits what you can do with it. Mezcal can be made with any species of agave. So, think of it this way — would you want your only wine to be chardonnay, or are you happy we’ve got, oh, 60 different grape varietals in Santa Barbara alone?