Quinn Bradlee is finally getting into the family business. No, the 44-year-old son of late Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and author Sally Quinn isn’t becoming a journalist. He and his wife, Fabiola Roman Bradlee, are continuing his family’s involvement in distilling: Bradlee’s Scottish an cestors crafted whisky in the Hebrides, he says, while some of their 18th-century descendants were New England rum producers. Fabiola Roman Bradlee and Quinn Bradlee. Photograph by Violetta Markelou. The couple’s contribution to this spirited continuum is Bonded Roots, a boutique mezcal made for them in Oaxaca by the Bronco Matateco distillery. “The name comes from my love of family history,” says Bradlee, who directed a documentary about his dad and is the author of a memoir, A Different Life. “I’ve always wanted to find out how I was related to everybody.” Currently available at Martin’s Tavern and Cafe Milano, the mezcal is also sold online. The couple, who divide their time between Georgetown and their farm in St. Mary’s County, are working on getting it distributed in other local establishments. Working with third-generation mezcalero Juan Diego Mendez Gomez at Bronco Matateco, the couple hoped to create a spirit that felt different from other mezcals on the market, not to mention the wide variety of celebrity-promoted tequilas. Gomez suggested using Weber Azul agave—the foundation of tequila—but processing it by roasting it in underground pits. “That way, you get the smoky flavor of mezcal, but it has tequila’s sweetness,” says Bradlee, suggesting that there are fruity notes of mango, pear, and green apple in the mix. The 94-proof mezcal, which sells for around $100 a bottle, comes in an aqua-blue container with a wooden cap featuring Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave. It’s intended to be attentively appreciated, the same way Quinn relished long walks with his father in the woods near the farm in St. Mary’s County he now calls one of his homes. “Sip and savor it,” Fabiola says. “Don’t throw it back like a tequila shot in college.” Related 11 Favorite Spots for Tequila and Mezcal Cocktails Around DC The post Mezcal Brand “Bonded Roots” Comes From a Famous DC Family first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less