Agave Love by Phil Bayly

I have always known Tequila as something of a bad boy spirit. It had a bohemian image wild and crazy, a freethinking spirit, uninhibited in many ways, Mezcal on the other hand was more esoteric.

Travelling in Mexico in the 80’s with no internet was typically through word of mouth, trial and error and mostly by the seat of my pants with only my camera to protect me.

It was hot by day and volcanic by night. I would wake up feeling it could be the best day of my life or the worst, I would never really know which until it was over.

“I crossed the border into Tijuana late in the afternoon. I came from San Diego where everything was paved, neat, green and organised, into Tijuana where streets were dirt and rubbish was everywhere. It was hot and dusty and the shadows were long. There were no manicured lawns – instead it was full of colour and music and life and strange foreign smells that embraced me. Beautiful Latinas strutted down the street, flashing glances through dark electric eyes.

Everyone was talking to me in Spanish at a million miles an hour trying to sell me something. Everyone was my amigo and I didn’t understand a thing.
I loved it.”

This book is not about making Tequila but more about the culture of drinking, travelling through Mexico and opening Tequila Bars in Europe in the 80’s & 90’s before this spirit became trendy and cool.

Agave Love is my visual journey.

Details

Photographer and author: Phil Bayly
Pages: 228
Cover type: Hardcover
Dimensions: 307mm x 233mm [Portrait]
Weight: 1.6kg
ISBN: 978-0-646- 99097-2
Price: $80 (Book) + $3 (packaging) + shipping calculated at checkout (inc GST)