WASHINGTON 鈥� Save the Corona and tequila for another day. This Cinco de Mayo, mix it up with mezcal.
The traditional Mexican spirit, which is made from the pi帽a part of the agave plant, is a staple in households and cantinas throughout the country. 聽聽
鈥淲e think mezcal is the spirit of Mexico. It鈥檚 culturally important to Mexicans, it鈥檚 religiously important, it supports communities,鈥� said Josh Phillips, general manager of D.C.鈥檚 .
And mezcal鈥檚 place in Mexico鈥檚 history spans centuries. Phillips says there鈥檚 even evidence of mezcal production from as far back as 3,500 years ago.
鈥淚t鈥檚 potentially the oldest distilled spirit on the planet,鈥� he added.
The taste of mezcal is hard to pin down, since the spirit can be made from a variety of agave plants. (Tequila, on the other hand, is made specifically from the Weber Azul agave plant). Similar to different varietals of wine, mezcals made from different agave plants carry different flavors.
鈥淛ust like a bottle of chardonnay and riesling are different based on their base material, so are mezcals, based on their agaves,鈥� said Phillips, whose 9th Street NW restaurant stocks about 100 different bottles of mezcals from 26 different agave plants.
His biggest pet peeve is when people pigeonhole the flavor and describe mezcal as a smoky tequila. It鈥檚 true that some mezcals carry a smokiness, but not all.
鈥淚鈥檝e got some mezcals that taste like bourbon; I鈥檝e got some mezcals that taste like scotch; I鈥檝e also got some mezcals that taste like gin. So it really varies,鈥� added Megan Barnes, beverage director at Espita Mezcaleria.
When it comes to drinking mezcal, there鈥檚 no wrong way to do it 鈥� but there are some preferred methods. One is from a copita, or a small clay cup. Another is from a clear plastic cup with a cross on the bottom, called a veladora.
If you recognize this vessel from church candle displays, you鈥檙e not far off. Phillips says that鈥檚 where the tradition started.
鈥淵ou would go to church, light a candle and pray, and when no one is looking, you steal the candle holder and go to the mezcal bar,鈥� he explained. 聽
Now, most mezcal bars rely less on sticky fingers and more on Catholic supply companies for their stock of veladoras.
Of course, mezcal is also great in cocktails. At Espita, Barnes mixes everything from a mezcal margarita to a mezcal old fashioned. The drink menu also includes concoctions such as mezcal with cucumber and ginger, and mezcal with grapefruit and vanilla.
If you鈥檙e green to the clear spirit, Barnes suggests subbing mezcal in for your go-to liquor the next time you make your favorite cocktail at home. You can also give Phillips鈥� mezcal margarita a try.
Recipe: Espita Mezcaleria鈥檚 Mayahuel (mezcal margarita)
- 1.5 ounces of mezcal
- 戮 of an ounce of triple sec
- 戮 of an ounce of lime juice
- 录 of an ounce of agave
Shake all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over a chilled glass, rimmed with salt. (Espita rims its glasses with sal de gusano, a spicy worm salt. You can use whatever you have at home.) Enjoy.
On Cinco de Mayo, Espita Mezcaleria will feature flights of聽mezcal and a collaboration chamomile saison beer with D.C.’s 3 Stars Brewing.聽
