Modern Mérida
“DON’T WORRY, IT WON’T STING YOU,” says the mixologist as we watch a tiny bee buzz above a clump of delicate flowers. “It’s a melipona honey bee which means it doesn’t have a stinger.” Watching honeybees might seem an unusual pre-cocktail ritual but I’m in Mérida exploring its drink scene and there’s no better place to begin than at Casa D’Aristi, the largest producer of Xtabentún, the unique honey-anise liqueur that’s legendary throughout Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. My tutored tasting of their new cocktail menu is a heady start to a weekend of spirited explorations.
Our home base is Hotel Casa Azul, in the heart of Mérida. Built in the French-style of the Porfirian era, this designated Historic Monument has been carefully converted to a luxury boutique inn and offers a jewel-sized swimming pool, a fine-dining restaurant and spacious suites. We enjoy a refreshing mango-infused cocktail in the elegant courtyard before heading out.
Located on the outskirts of the city on a vast estate graced with tamarindo and mango trees, the Casa D’Aristi distillery was a working hacienda during the heyday of the henequen boom
years of 1880 to 1915. Today, in the glow of the afternoon sun, the burnished gold hue of the original archway evokes the era when the Yucatán was the wealthiest state in Mexico.
Founded in 1935, the estate produces rum, nance and coconut liqueurs but its most beloved product is the golden elixir featuring melipona honey drawn from the nectar of the Xtabentún flower. Inspired by balche, a fermented drink used in religious rituals by local Maya, the Casa D’Aristi recipe for Xtabentún has remained true to its origins. Within the distillation room — a modern facility filled with gleaming stainless steel vats — we sample the thick unprocessed honey and inhale the sweet aroma of anise seeds.
After learning about Casa D’Aristi’s Special Reserve rum aged within Jim Beam bourbon barrels, our walking tour wraps up with a tutored tasting within the hacienda’s main building. Highlights of the 10 hand-crafted cocktails include a Pina Colada featuring Kalani Coconut Liqueur (created from pure cane syrup and ripe coconut pulp) as well as Margarita Xtabay, featuring the sweetness of Xtabentún and the heat of jalapeño pepper. It’s a modern twist on a legendary spirit.
Elegant and contemporary, Rosas & Xocolate, a luxury boutique hotel, restaurant and spa on Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo, has garnered awards for its innovative cuisine and ultra-stylish decor.
“Everything we do has a local component,” says owner and visionary Carol Kolozs, who created the hotel by merging two historic mansions into one gorgeous space.
The cuisine by Executive Chef David Segovia is equally inspired. Here, Xtabentún makes an appearance in a main dish, its sweetness adding a layer of depth to slow-cooked beef brisket.
Also blazing new culinary trails is Chef Alex Mendez at Hermana Republica, home to Cocina de la Cerveceria, independent brewers of craft beer. I join up with Chef Mendez for a walk and shop tour of Mérida’s Mercado Lucas de Gálvez where we pick up fixings for a locally inspired lunch.
“I’m interested in seasonal produce, especially forgotten vegetables,” he says as we look at bundles of sweet onions called cebolla de Ixil.
…We sample the thick unprocessed honey and inhale the sweet aroma of anise seeds…
T To sample his modern interpretation of Yucatán food, we head to his brewhouse-restaurant in nearby Xcanatún. I begin with a beer sampler featuring Patito Pilsner, Helles, Weizenbier and American Pale Ale. They pair perfectly with botanas (snacks) of sikil pak, tostadas of octopus and pork braised in vanilla porter. Unlike traditional bar food, it’s light, fresh and beautifully presented.
“Our intent is to do more than just produce great-tasting craft beer, we hope to promote beer culture,” says Mendez as he shows me their new beer garden with space for local food trucks.
For a taste of the sea, we head to nearby Progreso, where Crabster Seafood & Grill is also shaking up the notion of the traditional Yucatán eatery. Rather than the rickety plastic tables most often seen on this beach town’s boardwalk, Crabster’s decor is contemporary, featuring sleek natural materials. The ceviche is so fresh it seems plucked from the sea. It pairs nicely with a crisp Monte Xanic Valle de Guadalupe Chenin Blanc-Colombard.
No drink-inspired journey through Mérida would be complete without a stop at a cantina. Traditionally, these bastions of male machismo are frequented by working men at day’s end and are beloved for their loud music, free botanas and simple drinks, usually a shot of tequila swigged standing up.
Yet, even these cantinas are evolving. Many have shuttered permanently, others have opened their doors to families. Our first stop is La Negrita, a watering hole that’s celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017 and is just a short stroll from Casa Azul. We hear it before we see it, salsa music spilling out of the swinging doors. Squeezing past dancing couples, we score a tiny table tucked in the back courtyard. Our cocktail of mescal and pitaya (dragonfruit) sparkles with flavour and is as vibrant as the live band.
Our cantina crawl continues at El Pipiripau, named after a classic cumbia song. Here the crowd is smaller so we sprawl out at a large picnic table. Our drink of choice is pox (pronounced posh), a distilled aguardiente made of corn, sugar cane and wheat that’s traditional among Tzotzil Maya. Best described as moonshine, here the potent spirit is transformed into a sophisticated cocktail the hue of strawberries and the setting sun.
The mix of modern and traditional splashed with colour is a sweet wrap-up to a weekend of explorations in Mérida.
MICHELE PETERSON is a food and travel writer based in Canada and Mexico. She recently authored the Pacific Coast Chapter of Lonely Planet from the Source Mexico: Authentic Recipes from the People That Know Them the Best. Contact her at www.michelepeterson.com.