The new Max series Thirst with Shay Mitchell is not like other celebrity travelogues—and not just because it focuses on tasting beverages instead of food. The show is unpolished, documenting the titular host Shay Mitchell missing buses, getting blisters, changing outfits because she’s too sweaty, and repeating the same words as she grows tipsy (“Amazing!”). The first episode takes her to Peru, where her rodent-phobia sends her dashing out of a home occupied in part by a litter of baby guinea pigs. And instead of pretending every drink she tries is delicious, Mitchell is happy to tell her audience the truth. “It tastes like bad sushi,” she winces after sipping a fish-infused liquor.
Shay, who also founded the luggage brand Béis, is similarly frank when telling Condé Nast Traveler about the folks on flights who annoy her, the utter shock of her first time in business class, and her favorite destination from filming the show. Thirst is streaming now on Max.
Some of the lessons from filming:
I learned you could make wine out of potatoes. I didn’t know that prior to shooting, but it was fascinating and truly delicious. It wasn’t something you would try and be like, “Oh, this tastes like it’s not a grape.” No, it was fantastic! I also learned that the salt in Peru is way better because of the salt flats, and it makes a huge difference on the drink. Being a spicy marg girl, I enjoy salt on the rim, and now I just want it all to be from Peru.
The Thirst location she can’t wait to return to:
Cartagena! I absolutely loved it. It blew me away. I don’t know what I expected prior to going there—I always knew Colombia was on my bucket list—but after going there, and [seeing] the food, the drinks, the people, the culture, everything? I can’t wait to go back.
What she wears to fly:
I’m always comfortable. I will never travel in heels, ever. If I have to land and go somewhere, for work, they’ll be in my bag, but I’m very comfortable. I don’t want anything restricting. I’m in loose clothing and in layers, because sometimes the plane is hot so I have a tank top underneath, and then sometimes it’s freezing so I bring a sweater. You never know the temperature of the airplane or where you’re landing, so I’m always prepared—and I always have a pair of socks.
What’s in her carry-on bag:
What is not in my carry-on bag, is the question. Everything but the kitchen sink. And after becoming a mom—but no, I was always like this. I have snacks in my bag, I have vitamins, I have melatonin, I have skincare, I have face masks—a sleep mask always—and headphones and earplugs. I have it all. I’ve learned from my experiences traveling over the years that you can never be too prepared, so I’m Mary Poppins when I travel.
