You know they love agave Spirits but don’t want to get them just another bottle, cocktail guide, or knick knack. We’ve got you covered. Here’s the 2020 Quarantine Special for Agave Spirits Lovers!
1. A virtual tasting
You can’t really go to a bar let alone an agave Spirits tasting but you can order an experience like no other for your loved one(s).
People like me and Mezcalistas co-founder Susan Coss organize remote tastings through Zoom all the time for groups big and small. We can cover the basics, cover specific areas, and tailor tasting to your needs. Just contact us at info@mezcalistas.com
People like me and Mezcalistas co-founder Susan Coss organize remote tastings through Zoom all the time for groups big and small. We can cover the basics, cover specific areas, and tailor tasting to your needs. Just contact us at info@mezcalistas.com
2. Want to keep your palate fresh?
Flaviar has its own tasting boxes featuring all sorts of Mexican Spirits and many Mezcal makers are now selling 200ml bottles of their Spirits which offer you a great opportunity to taste more bottles at an economical price.
Try Madre Mezcal for a classic Oaxacan Mezcal in a beautiful bottle, the Rey Campero Tepextate for a mouth filling treat, or the Mazot Bacanora infused with Uvalama which brings you to another flavor level.
Try Madre Mezcal for a classic Oaxacan Mezcal in a beautiful bottle, the Rey Campero Tepextate for a mouth filling treat, or the Mazot Bacanora infused with Uvalama which brings you to another flavor level.
3. Clubs for people who like Mezcal
There are two gifts that just keep on giving, The Agave Mix Tape and Maguey Melate, which are both agave Spirits clubs that deliver periodic samples of some of the best juice in the business along with a ton of extras.
As the Agave Mix Tape’s name suggests, each edition comes with a mix but there’s also great packaging and background information.
Maguey Melate shares that affinity for production values and extras. In the past they’ve featured prints and ceramic cups but they always arrive with deep dives on the who, what, and where behind the bottles in the box.
As the Agave Mix Tape’s name suggests, each edition comes with a mix but there’s also great packaging and background information.
Maguey Melate shares that affinity for production values and extras. In the past they’ve featured prints and ceramic cups but they always arrive with deep dives on the who, what, and where behind the bottles in the box.
4. Learn to cook while sipping
This was the year for new Mexican cookbooks so consider one of the three for culinary inspiration.
Gabriela Camara’s My Mexico City highlights many of the dishes that have made Contramar the place to lunch in Mexico City and explains why Cala was such a success in San Francisco. Her culinary style is seafood focused so it’s lighter than many people expect.
Danny Mena has a Mezcal brand and restaurants in New York so is frequently on the move between Mexico and the U.S. In “Made in Mexico” he focuses on the casual street food that makes going anywhere in Mexico a culinary dream. These are the dishes that give fast food a good connotation.
Enrique Olvera has accolades to burn based on his flagship Mexico City restaurant Pujol and New York City’s Cosme but with Tu Casa Mi Casa he focuses on the sort of Mexican home cooking that should be part of your home.
5. Get your morning started right
Proyecto Diaz’s motto is “caffeinate with purpose” because they are focused on importing Mexican coffees that rebuild the coffee farming infrastructure that doesn’t get as much attention as it should from the global coffee marketplace.
They have a bi-weekly subscription service or you can buy individual roasts from the farms that they work with.
They have a bi-weekly subscription service or you can buy individual roasts from the farms that they work with.
6. Sip from craft
And why skimp on the vessel that you’re using to sip that coffee or Mezcal?
Mexico By Hand imports amazing Michoacan craft items that are all certified food safe which will also light up your table when you’re using them and your cupboard when you’re not. All of these pieces are hand made, each is a unique item with its own bit of heft and curve - you can’t get more unique than this.
Mexico By Hand imports amazing Michoacan craft items that are all certified food safe which will also light up your table when you’re using them and your cupboard when you’re not. All of these pieces are hand made, each is a unique item with its own bit of heft and curve - you can’t get more unique than this.
If you’re thinking far enough ahead make an order from Collectivo 1050 Grados - a Oaxacan collective of ceramicists - which features stunning craftsmanship and delightful motifs.
7. Literary delights
If you want to give the gift of deep consideration then consider two books that will take your breath away.
As profiled in our Mezcal in Pop Culture article Under the Volcano is an under appreciated literary masterpiece. It’s also Mezcal soaked and a deep dive into the experience of Mexico that will reward literary seekers read after read.
As profiled in our Mezcal in Pop Culture article Under the Volcano is an under appreciated literary masterpiece. It’s also Mezcal soaked and a deep dive into the experience of Mexico that will reward literary seekers read after read.
Granville Greene’s Mezcal Rush is like a New Yorker essay about the contemporary world of Mezcal in book form. It’s three years old now but just as fresh and resonant. Greene embedded himself with distillers and brings their craft and the surrounding culture to life but he doesn’t stop there, he travels along with the Mezcal to look at how it’s sold in the U.S. and how these different cultures are intertwined.
8. Go whole hog
Want to provide the ultimate inspiration and the means to achieve it? Then give the literal gift of distillation with a small copper still from The Grommet. If you’re really lucky, this gift may make its way back to you in liquid form.
9. An experience that they’ll never forgot
We’re still under quarantine but we can be optimistic and plan for better days so set up a Mezcal or Tequila tour for when traveling to Mexico is once again on the agenda.
Mezcalistas has a full line up of regions, tour guides, and the logistics to consider.
Mezcalistas has a full line up of regions, tour guides, and the logistics to consider.
