Free Republic

Tequila is the most popular agave spirit by far and the category has surpassed whiskey sales in the U.S. to become the nation’s second best-selling spirit behind only vodka. Tequila also powers America’s most popular cocktail: the margarita. But as much as I love tequila, and I am definitely a fan, of late I’ve been increasingly drawn to other Mexican spirits including Bacanora, another type of mezcal, and sotol, a separate but somewhat similar tasting category of Mexican spirit.

It's 2, maybe 3 a.m. and I'm in the passenger seat of Sam Lewis' old brown van as we hurtle toward Terlingua. We wander across the center stripe and back and back again - Sam's not near as worried about it as I am. Sensing my discomfort, Sam says, ''Oh, I just kind of aim this thing down the road.'' And he does, not steering as much as giving the steering wheel a slap every now and then when we appear to be on the verge of disaster. I'm reassured by the thought that Sam might have a few armadillos...