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Posts tagged ‘bricia lopez’

Dec 19

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An impromptu chat at Zandunga

There are so many reasons to appreciate Bricia Lopez  – knowledge of mezcal being reason number one. Number two is her generosity in connecting me with her friends in Oaxaca – in this case photographer and incredibly fun Omar Alonso. We met for lunch at Biznaga and got to know one another. After food, beers and a mezcal or two, he took me next door to Zandunga to check out their mezcal collection and to meet one of the owners, Marcos Toledo. Zandunga is an interesting restaurant that specializes in Istmo style cuisine that incorporates dried shrimp, fish and vinegar in many dishes. The flavors are distinctly different from the food generally found in the centro.

And what a mezcal selection! I focused on tasting mezcals from the brand Espirituoso, two of which came from Michoacan (a pechuga made from deer and agave azul and a cenizo maguey), the third from Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz (an espadin, madrecuishe and bicuishe blend). They were all delicious but I have to say, the pechuga blew my socks off. Its flavor was completely different than anything I have ever tasted – so meaty and savory.

But it was the conversation with Marcos that was the highlight. We talked about the changing market of mezcal and the transition of restaurants gravitating toward pouring brands and away from house mezcals. It seems a crackdown on regulations and certifications is driving this change – with mezcalerias in Mexico City being closed for serving unregistered mezcals (mezcals that are not officially registered as a business.) He thinks it is only a matter of time before this starts happening in Oaxaca and plans on shifting to official mezcals in 2013. Next year is also when the new law comes into effect requiring all of these producers to have registered businesses in order to sell their product in the market.

Marcos and Susan Coss

A lot of it comes down to taxes, and making sure that everyone is paying – which in the case of mezcal can be 60+ percent on each bottle. Not only do costs go up for restaurants, bars, stores, etc, but also for the patrons. It also means potentially limiting the market for small producers who usually do not go through the long, laborious and expensive process of creating an official business, and who sell direct (house mezcals).

Sep 13

All tequila is mezcal but not all mezcal is tequila

A Taste of LA with mezcal

It was a whirlwind Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles at the Taste of LA held in Paramount Studios’ sprawling old New York back lot. It felt very much like a street festival with potholes and cracked sidewalks which ensured that the high heeled crowd had to tread carefully.

I missed the first session, a Field to Fork extravaganza, but hit the Cocktail Confidential program full force. The plan was to talk tequila and mezcal along with Bricia Lopez at the Taste of Mexico’s Hoy Café spot but on occasion the best laid plans are pushed aside when the drinks are flowing and conversation is bubbling along non-stop.

LA is a mezcal town, people get it, there is no question in their eyes when you say the word. The experimentation in restaurant kitchens and bars is a normal expectation.  Father’s Office showcased a to-die-for Bloody Maria made with mezcal and kimchee while Crème Caramel LA debuted its Kalamansi (a Philippine lemon) Mezcal bread pudding Creme Caramel.  But most of all there is excitement about agave distillates. When Bricia cracked open a bottle of the Pierde Almas Tequilina Weber we had to hold back the crowd. It is bold, delightfully smooth, and incredibly delicious.  It’s fascinating to see a mezcal like this made from the agave that’s used in tequila.  Del Maguey also has one on the market, the San Luis Del Rio Azul, as part of its Vino de Mezcal Series so this may be part of a larger trend.   In any case, we are planning our second Pop-up Mezcaleria to delve into the tequila vs. mezcal conversation so we’ll be tasting tequilas and mezcals made from the same agave.   Stay tuned for more information.

There was not nearly enough food on cocktail night to offset the generous pours, so it was amusing that there weren’t nearly enough alcoholic parings for the next day’s Flavors of LA session.  As always,  Jonathan Gold‘s carefully curated restaurant list was fresh and exciting and I can’t wait to return and dig even deeper into LA’s constantly evolving culinary variety show. Fantastic treats like Wurstkuche‘s rabbit sausage, Bulgarini‘s olive oil and salt ice cream, Mo-Chica‘s unagi wrapped by mashed potato goodness, Border Grill‘s taco extraordinaire, and Street‘s sweet potato bhel puri kept the taste buds well stimulated.

Later I listened to the panel discussion of local food trends with Evan Kleiman, Jonathan Gold, Gustavo Arellano, and Sang Yoon.  Who knew chefs and critics of their caliber could make Doritos and Del Taco such interesting conversation topics? I also caught the Mexican food talk that featured the Taste of Mexico chefs covering issues like “authenticity”, the perception that Mexican food needs to be cheap, bringing ingredients across the border (no fresh chiles for one), and regional variations in food influences.

A true highlight of the weekend was meeting Javier Cabral, perhaps the only other person who has equal love for mezcal and punk rock. Oh yeah, and pulque.

And of course there was being able to swim, in an unheated pool, at night, without thought of hypothermia.

Jul 31

Daniel from Tamarindo samples some mezcal. Photo: Erin Conger

Pop Up Mezcaleria recap

Thanks again to all those who came out for our first Pop Up Mezcaleria with the Bold Italic!

The turn out was fantastic.  The mezcals: Alipus San Andres, Del Maguey Minero, Metl Blanco, Pierde Almas Joven, and Wakaha Reposado in the cocktail all showed extraordinarily well and displayed the many faces of this spirit.  Tamarindo’s food was a smashing success.  Susan Coss, Bricia Lopez and I had a great time walking everyone through the mezcals and diving into what separates mezcal from the rest of the world’s spirits.  From the feedback at the event and we’ve been very happy to learn that many participants not only had fun but are jumping into the world of mezcal.  We are already planning our next one so stay tuned.

The Bold Italic‘s Erin Conger took some fantastic photos which we’ve wrapped into a gallery below. Take a look and send us a note if you have ideas for our next tasting.

Jul 2

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Mezcal tasting in San Francisco!

Join Mezcalistas Max Garrone and Susan Coss as well as Guelaguetza’s Bricia Lopez this July 25th for a mezcal tasting at San Francisco’s Bold Italic. It’s a ticketed event so make sure to grab yours before they’re gone.  We’ll be tasting Alipus, Pierde Almas, Del Maguey, Metl, Wahaka, and a potential surprise. Also included: A sampling of flavor enhancing appetizers, a chance to try a signature mezcal cocktail, and of course, music.