INTOXICATING TRAIL LAID OUT
Mexico City has a new trail for visitors to follow ... though it possibly will become a winding one as it’s all about the national spirit: mezcal
FROM the first “kiss” of mezcal to a trail of tasty discoveries, Mexico City has started a tourist route taking in the tradition, culture and heritage of the liquor.
The Mezcal Route is a chance for visitors to explore the history of mezcal through to tastings accompanied by traditional dishes of the Mexican states that distil it.
More than 50 plant species of the agave genus are used for making mezcal, but only a few are officially recognised by the Mexican Regulatory Council of Mezcal Quality, or Comercam, which is in charge of certifying production.
Expert mezcal-maker Otto Minera said the most common agave plant is the “espadin,” whose leaves must grow for eight years before they’re ready to make mezcal.
The flavour changes depending on the touch given it by the distiller, so that each mezcal has a “unique, unrepeatable taste,” Minera said.
To taste this drink, considered “spiritual,” one must give it a “kiss” - have a first drink - which opens the throat to its strong flavour. The second drink is friendlier and the mezcal flavours are readily discerned and appreciated.
The tour, which lasts some four hours, comes to an end at El Candelero restaurant, whose style takes visitors back to the romantic splendours of 18th-century Mexican baroque.