ROOTED OAXACAN NEGRONI
THERE IS A STRONG CONNECTION TO TERROIR IN WINE, BUT EVEN DEEPER IN MEZCAL BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST WHERE THE AGAVE IS GROWN BUT THE LOCAL WOOD AND ROCKS THAT ARE USED IN THE OVENS.
“Wine sommeliers around the world are fascinated with mezcal, and the reason is simple – we are talking the same language. We just talk species of agave instead of grape, but all the elements of sub-region, microclimate, wild yeast fermentation are all part of making artisanal mezcal. There is a strong connection to terroir in wine, but even deeper in mezcal because it’s not just where the agave is grown but the local wood and rocks that are used in the ovens.”
A perfect evening at La Fuente will start with an aperitif – perhaps a margarita or an eccentric white wine accompanied by a few Te Matuku oysters. The food from the kitchen changes weekly and is designed to express and complement the wine and mezcal, from earthy root vegetable dishes to bright ceviche and seafood. In this way, the team is intentional about its desire to introduce customers to new styles, varieties and regions of wine and mezcal.
“We are independent so every label that is in the bar is very specific, best examples of styles, region etc. At any time we have 25–30 wines that are not available anywhere else. And we follow a strong principle; we only stock artisanal mezcals that we drink ourselves. You won’t find industrial mezcals here.”
Mundo prefers to introduce mezcal to first-timers in the same way you would introduce a leading character in a film – “It’s not shy, it’s powerful but it’s power with balance and grace, with complexity”, he says.
That power is matched by precision in the way everything is treated from the kitchen to the bar. While service is casual, there are meticulous choices that have been made about glassware to ensure every wine, cocktail or mezcal is enhanced and presented so it can truly be enjoyed by the customer.
“No one had served mezcal here in the way we do; sometimes you might see it being served in a traditional glass, but it doesn’t enhance anything in the mezcal. We are there to share stories and education, creating a layer that cements a knowledge and appreciation of mezcal with precision. Our regulars are smart at navigating the bar – they know to ask for recommendations now if they want to explore something new, because we are always trying to elevate the experience.”
SERVES 1
A robust update on a classic negroni: smoky, complex and lingering.
30ml mezcal
30ml Campari
15ml sweet vermouth
(we recommend trying Terra Sancta Aperitivo Botanical Wine) 15ml amaro
2 drops coffee and pimento
bitters (optional) orange peel, to garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all ingredients except the bitters and orange peel. Stir to combine and strain into a chilled tumbler over a large ice cube. Add the coffee and pimento bitters, if using. Garnish by twisting an orange peel over the drink to release the oils, then place on the rim of the glass.
MEZCAL
Mezcal has long been a sought-after spirit, though often overshadowed by tequila
– a small subset of the mezcal family, defined by geographical regions. In almost exactly the same way that regional winemakers in France created clear regional boundaries and styles, mezcal contains many styles, sub-regions and nuances. With some of the most complex regulations and certifications in the spirits world, mezcal is highly protected by Mexico and cannot be made anywhere else in the world. There is a mezcal for nearly everyone, as the soaring popularity of the spirit on the world stage suggests.
Mezcal is made by first harvesting the agave plant (maguey) and then cooking the hearts (piña), heads or leaves depending on the style. These are cooked in earthen pits, using a method of fire and large stones not dissimilar to a method of hāngī. The roasted maguey is then traditionally milled using a large stone mill. Depending on the style of mezcal, fermentation might happen in wooden vats, concrete tubs or tanks made from stone, before distillation. Artesanal and ancestral mezcal might be distilled in a Filipino clay still, otherwise a traditional copper alembic still is most common.
Wild yeast fermentation is most common in artesanal and ancestral mezcal, meaning a wide spectrum of flavours can be present in the spirit, which is then further influenced by ageing and blending. With nine specific regions of Mexico that can produce mezcal, each with unique terroir and landscapes, there really is a world of flavour to explore.
When thinking about the age and colour of mezcal, there are four key things to remember: joven is unaged or aged for less than two months; reposado is aged in oak barrels for two to twelve months; añejo is aged for one to three years; and extra añejo is aged for more than three years.
So what about tequila? Tequila can only be made from the blue agave plant, which is grown in five regions of Mexico. The distillation of the blue agave creates a spirit that is much more agave-forward than other mezcals and doesn’t usually have the same smoky profile associated with the earthen pits of mezcal production.
TEPACHE-ITA SERVES 1
45ml mezcal
15ml Marsala
30ml homemade tepache (see recipe) 15ml lime juice
10ml agave syrup dried habanero chilli, chargrilled pineapple and Gran Mitla salt (agave worm salt), to garnish
Add all ingredients except the garnish to a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain over ice into a tumbler. Garnish with a dried habanero chilli, chargrilled pineapple on a stick and a dash of Gran Mitla salt. SNACK: A small corn tortilla topped with pulled pork, a pickled red onion and coriander.
TEPACHE
½ cup brown sugar 4½ cups water
1 ripe fresh pineapple 1 cinnamon stick
Put the brown sugar and water in a pot on a medium-low heat to combine until the sugar is dissolved.
Wash the pineapple and then remove the peel in large pieces. Remove the ripe fruit from the core and keep the fruit for later. Add the peel, core and cinnamon to the pot. Cover with cheesecloth or a tea towel and set aside for 48 hours.
After 48 hours, remove the peel, core and cinnamon stick then keep refrigerated until ready to use. It will keep for up to 7 days.
[THE AGAVE IS] COOKED IN EARTHEN PITS, USING A METHOD OF FIRE AND LARGE STONES NOT DISSIMILAR TO A METHOD OF HĀNGĪ.
MARGARITA MALINCHE SERVES 1
A twist on the classic margarita using sotol, an agave spirit from northern Mexico.
50ml sotol (we recommend La Higuera
Sotol Dasylirion, Leiophyllum) 30ml fresh lime juice
15ml agave syrup a dash grapefruit bitters salt and fresh lime wheel, to serve dehydrated or fresh lime wheel,
to garnish
First, prepare a chilled tumbler by rubbing half the rim with a lime wheel and gently rolling in salt. Add the sotol, lime juice and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour the contents directly into the tumbler. Add a dash of grapefruit bitters. Garnish with a dehydrated or fresh lime wheel.
SALADO MARTINI SERVES 1
50ml mezcal (we recommend
Don Ramón Mezcal) 5–10ml fino sherry
5ml olive brine
1 drop fennel bitters (we recommend
Bar Keep) olives, to garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice, add the mezcal, fino and olive brine. Stir to combine, roughly 30 seconds for a perfect dilution. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a drop of fennel bitters on top. Garnish with olives on a stick.
NOTE ON BITTERS Fennel bitters can be substituted with celery bitters from cocktailcollective.co.nz
Coffee & Grapefruit bitters available from elementaldistillers.com