Increasing Mexico’s most sought-after libation, mezcal is on everyone’s lips these days and I often get asked what are the best places to try mezcal in Mexico City. While the mezcal mecca is Oaxaca, visitors to Mexico City might only have a weekend to get a sense of this smoky, seductive spirit in all its forms. Here are a few of my favorite options for trying mezcal, both in my neighborhood, Colonia Roma, and beyond. If you want to avoid looking like a tourist remember that mezcal is a sipping drink, so take your time, and make it an occasion.
Mis Mezcales – Coahuila 138, Roma
This is a good place to start your mezcal education. Omar Trejo, the owner of the Mis Mezcales shop (who by the way speaks perfect English) has a collection of small batch mezcal that I don’t think you are likely to find anywhere else. THIS IS WHERE TO GO IF YOU WANT SOMETHING RARE — I can’t stress that enough. If you stop by, Omar will give you a taste of whatever he might have on hand and a full explanation (often times including family and brand history) of what you are drinking. I have met no other mezcal expert who is so knowledgeable and yet so unpretentious — my favorite kind of expert. All of the mezcal he sells is bottled and for sale, although a small minority of it is not officially labeled, so getting those back through customs is your job — pack it deep!
Limantour – Alvaro Obregon 106, Roma
This bar, with several locations throughout the city, is a great start for someone who might not be ready to go mezcal straight up just yet. Limantour has won all kinds of accolades for their mixology (They are No. 6 in the World’s 50 Best Bars this year) so it won’t be namby-pamby either. They have a pastor mezcal cocktail inspired by the taco al pastor that I love. Most of their mezcal is not small batch, mom and pop producers, so if you are looking for the unusual or the rare better head to a different place. That said, they sell quality commercial brands, and they make almost all of their mixers in-house. There’s also a wide range of other delicious cocktails sans mezcal for the drinker who wants to accompany you but would prefer a whiskey. I will also give a special shout-out to the Ant Man mezcal cocktail at Fifty Mils, a total work of art in a one-of-a-kind bar.
La Clandestina – Alvaro Obregon 298, Condesa
This cool little dive bar is a nostalgic throwback to a time when you could buy your alcohol up front in a local shop and then go in the back and drink it and its moody red lighting feels like a 1980s dystopian movie. They have the coolest system of mezcal on tap you’ve ever seen of about 20 different unmarked varieties from across the country. Served alongside orange wedges with a dusting of chile powder and some other Oaxaca-style snacks, this is a good spot for your first mezcal straight up as the staff is super knowledgeable and can provide a lot of support in choosing something to your taste.
Mano Santo – Insurgentes Sur 219 / Insurgentes 516
Once upon a time, Mano Santo operated out of an old turn-of-the-century house, with a claw-foot bathtub in the middle of the room and a secret handshake to get in the door. These days they have leveled up and have two locations, both in Roma on Insurgentes street, where you can try the Mano Santo mezcal brand that they make working with a single Oaxacan producer. The place at Insurgentes 219 is a big, industrial warehouse-like space which is better for going with a group, the place further down on Insurgentes 516 (called Mezcal Mexico) near the Nuevo Leon metro is a little more intimate. Again, bartenders with lots of info here, but my personal experience is that they lack patience with newbies. Similarly, El Palenquito, a mezcal bar in Roma, works with a single Oaxacan producer and has 16 varieties of their personal mezcal brand.
Bosforo – Luis Moya 31, Centro
Step out of the touristy Roma and Condesa and get a feel for the downtown vibe at Bosforo, a tiny bar that is almost hidden among the aging theater Cine Orfeón and the darkened sidewalks of Luis Moya street. This place is generally packed, noisy and standing room only on the weekend, so although the folks who work there are full of info to help guide you, you might want to go to Bosforo with at least some basic knowledge about the kind of mezcal you like. They have over 40 types to choose from, mostly small batch.
La Botica – Everywhere
There are La Botica locations all over the city and they are generally rowdy, cool spaces with a bunch of people eating Oaxacan cheese and spicy baked fava beans. I mention these guys because they were the FIRST place I ever had a mezcal IN MY LIFE, and so I have a certain soft spot for them, but they are by far the most commercial of this entire list. Still, they were one of the originals, long before mezcal could be found in Brooklyn and L.A., and you will find a lot of options here. Just not as many with that artisan, small batch, who-the-fuck-is-this kind of quality. And the bartenders are just kinda meh on help. Still, if you want to find a brand you just might be able to get back home, this is a good stop to make on the mezcal tour.
One additional note: The Museum of Tequila and Mezcal is a nice mini-lesson on mezcal making if you can’t get down to Oaxaca to see it in the flesh. While I don’t recommend the bar on the roof here for serious mezcal drinking, they do have a very extensive selection of commercial mezcal brands to try and a view out over Garibaldi square and its roving mariachis.
Click here to subscribe via RSS