#4: Off-Piss*d | MEXICO 🌵 🍹 🍷 🌮
Did you know that Tequila is a type of Mezcal? Wasn't too sure what Mezcal was to begin with? That Mexico has wine?! Let's run through a few things I learnt in this amazing colourful country.
Greetings!
A little late on this post, jet lag is a nightmare.
I’ve just been in Mexico for a glorious 10 days, so I thought I’d give a little segue for this edition of Dosage into what’s happening around wines and spirits there. Highly recommended holiday if you haven’t been already, which I will try to get through concisely. For food, it’s probably the most remarkable country I’ve visited: it’s democratic where the best places are really often the cheapest, it’s fresh and it really makes the most of its local produce. A corn tortilla being cooked is up there on my favourite smells list!
Although I don’t have a lot of drinks/food related pics directly for this post, let me pepper it with some holiday pics to heat up an… already quite warm November?
Although I am partial to a Modelo, I haven’t covered beer here. Only here for the strong stuff.
Tequila, Tequila!
The gin and whiskey crazes of the 2010s still loom, but tequila has always had the hints that it would be the next big thing. That and sake. Still, we wait in Europe for it to move on from being a dignity vacuum. The zeitgeist is certainly bubbling for it: Adam Neumann’s love for Don Julio was satirised in the WeCrashed series on Apple TV, and the latest Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spat started with supporting one celebrity’s tequila over another.
Tequila is a spirit that comes specifically from the blue agave plant. Agave is a type of cactus that is also known for its nectar by health nuts as an alternative to sugar, which is the source of the liquid that is then distilled. Tequila is a clean spirit that makes it the perfect shot along with the lime wedge and salt that may make you feel a little queazy, but can be equally enjoyed on the rocks. I’m no experts on notes, but you can get a herbaceous and root vegetable-y type of flavour along with the heat that can certainly blow the cobwebs away.
While the margarita is the classic cocktail that’s more of a holiday (a shake of tequila with lime, triple sec and a salty rim), the Picante has made a statement in the nouveau elites. Soho House members and guests will be familiar with the tequila shaken (supposedly) with chilli, coriander, lime juice and agave which is - delectable. I’ve tried to recreate the hushed picante recipe at home before, but it never quite packs the same punch or comes too short… Any insider knowledge is much appreciated and will be treated confidentially.
When it comes to food and tequila, you can either have it neat, on the rocks or in a delish cocktail. The way it complements citrus and salt from your younger days can be bit of a hint the best thing that I can think of to pair: perhaps a juicy Tori No Karaage? It’s deep fried chicken thigh from Japan that’s made up in a soy and spice based batter, before squeezing over a wedge of fresh lime. DELECTABLE. Also, tequila is going to go very well with Mexican, naturally - a grilled fish taco with some pickled onion and guac will do fabulously with a margarita.
Mezcal, tho.
Feint memories of worms being put into some tequilas? Indeed, but it’s actually a tradition that comes with Mezcal. Mezcal is the smokier mama to tequila, which is more of a whisk(e)y if you consider tequila as the scotch. This is true for the actual production as well! While Tequila might be more refined in its production, Mezcal holds a lot more potential character., which have also had goop enthusiasts fizzy.
Mezcal is the wider term for distilling spirits from the agave plant, rather than tequila which has to come from the blue agave plant only. Tequila is only produced and be produced in a certain way where the blue agave heart (or piña) is cooked above ground and aged in copper. Where Tequila gives a clean palette, Mezcal is the smoky drag alter-ego: the agave plant here is cooked underground traditionally with firewood. To drink it, smoke and peat dominate as flavours, but you’ll still also get some of that off-sweetness with a tequila.
Traditionally, Mexicans drink Mezcal in small sips within a shot glass, and swish it around the mouth and gums before swallowing. No need to lick your hand with mezcal, which is another bonus - and you’ll need a few seconds to pause to deal with the intensity and gum diseases burning away rapidly once you’ve had a bit. The alcohol may feel stronger here, but it doesn’t need quite the same sharpness to cleanse the palette after - and hence refreshing with orange slices and tajin/chili powder after is for this drink.
Mezcal works beautifully as a vibrant cocktail base, or is an all-round sage digestif - a little like grappa. Whether you’re having a bit with cheese at Christmas or you’re trying to emotionally cope with intense humidity in the jungle, it’s happy to be dressed up or down.
Mezcal as you would expect comes in a lot of different varieties, ageing and characteristics which can be a minefield. Joven refers to those that are young who are up with their Spanish, reposado has been lightly oaked while añejo means it’s been aged for at least a year.
Pairing food with mezcal is a little more diverse. It goes well with fattier, fattier foods, so an ideal pairing to serve with some quesadillas. It’ll also work well to take a bit of spice where there’s more fat as well: so a thai duck red curry would be served well with a shot. Mezcal as I eluded to also goes really well with cheese, or can be a good dessert/night cap option. Oh, and chocolate as well! Since the Mayans were one of the first purveyors of raw cacao.
Is this not a wine blog, Daniel?
Well, Mexican wine is ACTUALLY a thing! Much to my surprise, which shouldn’t have been. There are so many countries producing wine that get left by the wayside based on a lack of marketing, or where it’s mainly for internal consumption. Did you know that China is one of the largest producers of wine? Probably not if you haven’t visited, as most of it is consumed within its boarders.
Mexico’s climate is hot, has plenty of green vegetation amongst jungles and gets a lot of rainfall in the summer months. None of this rules out being able to grow grapes, more gives certain ones a better advantage of growing well. I could have sought out a little more while I was over there, but I hadn’t expected so much of wines from Mexico, and as it was a beach holiday that was very much needed, I really didn’t want to spend too much time stressing/backlogging up my poolside reads. I’m still trying to adapt to not having hourly margaritas or mezcalitas.
What I sampled on my trip which was mainly whites and in an all inclusive, so predictable, and nice - a little like a US/South African chardonnay or sauvignon blanc that you’d expect and nothing too much to ooh or ahh. They also had a lot of traditional method sparkling wines that mean they’re made in the same style as a Champagne, but not quite Champagne. While I love a Cava which is on this line, I can’t say I enjoyed the bottle we got - but bear in mind, this was a Walmart bottle for $5. Very reminiscent of the mysterious fizz they love to drink in Schitt’s Creek.
I’ll return to Mexico with more of an agenda on this.
Where I’ve been this week:
After a whooping month to hail in my fourth decade, big shout out to Finley’s on Hoxton Street. An amazing little wine bar that do private hires not far from Shoreditch, where their focus is stocking wines and beers from female and queer owned businesses. Some fabulous Italian and German reds along with Spanish whites were had, and considering it is a 3 minute walk from my house it will be frequented again, and again, and again…
