A nice look at Cuish
When it rains documentaries, it can also pour. We just heard about this very affectionate short about Cuish and its founder Felix Hernandez. Cuish bottles mezcal from a collection of Oaxacan mezcaleros and also has a very nicely appointed tasting room in the city of Oaxaca.
Oaxaca – a constantly changing landscape
[caption id="attachment_6374" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
The colors of La Guelaguetza in full bloom.[/caption]
We arrived just as the morning sky was breaking open and the rain had stopped. There had been a torrential storm when we landed in Mexico City the night before, and despite having put in a four hour buffer to get through customs, get to the bus station, and grab something to eat before catching our midnight bus to Oaxaca, we barely made it. Rain has inundated Mexico City and created traffic havoc on an already traffic laden city.
Oaxaca notes: An encuentro of (many) Maestros del Mezcal
It was a fabulous three weeks in Oaxaca that now feels simultaneously like I was there for forever and that it was all a dream. I'll just sum it up in five words-- so much damn good mezcal. Max did a great little write up about how the mezcaleria scene is changing, with differentiation coming in style and design and of course breadth of offerings. To my great dismay, I was not able to get to Cuish to see live and in person their newly revamped space. By all accounts, it is beautiful and is at the top of my list when I return. I have such high regard for what Felix Hernandez Monterrosa and Hilda Martinez Popoca have done for mezcal in Oaxaca. When they opened their doors in 2011,
Taking the mezcal out of the box
Puns and seasonality aside I really am stunned by the leaps in mezcal world design. Bottle shapes and label design have always expressed the awesome creativity seeping out of Mexico but now people are creating all sorts of other containers. This last trip to Oaxaca presented me with two: Hopefully this article will prompt still others. Rest assured I'm also working on a piece specifically about label and bottle design so send me your thoughts on those fronts as well. For now I just want to talk about a few boxes.
Wood boxes for alcohol have always been special.
Small producers showcase at Mexico in a Bottle
I am often asked - where is the best place to try mezcal in the Bay Area? And my usual reply is, well, my house. Logistics make it hard to actually have everyone over - kid with homework and a
Experiencing Mezcal at Mezcalaria – Part 2
On July 21st and 28th, the quaint neighborhood of Jalatlaco in Oaxaca, Mexico played host to two nights of a mezcal extravaganza called Mezcalaria. Each night paired four different mezcals with four different dishes. Our on the ground Mezcalista Ana
Experiencing Mezcal at Mezcalaria – Part 1
On July 21st and 28th, the quaint neighborhood of Jalatlaco in Oaxaca, Mexico played host to two nights of a mezcal extravaganza called Mezcalaria. Each night paired four different mezcals with four different dishes. Our on the ground Mezcalista Ana
Silvestres and espadin tasting
We just finished our third tasting this time focused entirely on mezcals that we brought back from a recent trip to Oaxaca. We paired off silvestres and espadins for comparison and contrast. All are in the traditional Oaxacan style. We tasted: 1)