YOUR EXCLUSIVE MEZCAL TASTING - MEXICO CITY
Become a mezcal connoisseur with an expert at your side!
Mezcal (a.k.a. mescal) is the 'alcohol du jour' in Mexico, New York, and Sydney.... and with good reason.
As an artisanal product of denomination,
mezcal (and its prima materia, agave) has a breathtaking cultural history, a strong bond with terroir, & an astonishing range of tasting notes.
If you are a foodie, then this private 1.5 hour tour in Mexico City is a must!
Experience three distinct boutique production distillations & discover the incredible variety of formats mezcal embodies, through experience, knowledge & flavor!!
Our mezcal expert Paco (right) does not wear a bow tie, but he is the undeniable 'Rhodes Scholar' of Mezcal.
This a highly educative mezcal tasting, set in an informal ambience, so you can ask questions, and relax!
photo courtesy of Monica Brockmann: Instagram @ilchapis
By the tour's end, you'll agree. The magic of turning cactus into mezcal is nothing short of a miracle.
I cannot recommend highly enough the Mezcal tasting at la Clandestina. The products are sensational, the experience educational, and the dinner at the end at la Lavanderia simply delicious, the cocktails being another highlight of that place.
Laura, Matt, Jose and Paco made Mexico as exciting, interesting and accessible as could have been imagined for a group our size.
I cannot recommend them strongly enough.
These non-commercial, single estate, artisanal bottles are the supply-line we use for your private mezcal tasting.
You won't try a single mezcal that comes from a branded or exported bottle.
We focus on single-batch, limited production mezcals, sourced directly from rural suppliers. And that's why you won't ever be able to try these mezcals back home, whether you are from Europe or the US.
About to book? Excellent!
Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on, you are a group of more than 2 people.
Dear Laura, You should know, this mezcal tasting with Paco was so much fun, and so informative. This is something special for us to experience. We so appreciate today’s tasting. I cannot say enough about how great this was!"
P Lao
MEET MEXICO CITY'S FOREMOST MEZCAL EXPERT
Your mezcal host Paco is a fabulously knowledgeable and fun person to spend time with!
Our local mezcal expert is Paco Bernal - a truly likeable and knowledgeable expert, who is frankly inspirational in his knowledge of mezcal and its traditions. Be it the difference between agave species, tracing a mezcal's flavours to its production or terroir, or locating the rarest of rare mezcals in Mexico, Paco is like a Rhodes Scholar of mezcal knowledge. He gained his technical expertise at the helm of Mexico City's very first contemporary mezcal-only bars. Opening its doors in 2002, it was the first to focus on solely artisanal mezcals ( that is to say verified mezcals of denomination with a limited release production, where the end of the bottle signified the end of that unique product). Steadfastly refusing to pander to trends for mezcal cocktails and other forms of mezcal tokenism, it championed a new urban standard for mezcal purism, which has now become the new benchmark for the elite.
Mónica Brockmann meets & greets, translates, and is on hand to help with your onward plans.
Monica Brockmann is your private translator and meet-&-greet host for this mezcal tête à tête. You may also recognize Monica as our Foodies Delight tour guide. As a professional mixologist and a specialist in Mexican culinary traditions, Monica's gastronomy obsessions make her the perfect partner for anything to do with palate and taste.
Director, Laura Ainscough, was the first translator and official guide for this tour. Whenever she can keep her hand in, she does! Mezcal diversity and its sublime denomination of origin is one of her pet passions.
Arrive as novices, leave as connoisseurs!
Two hour Mezcal experience with Paco and Monica. We were SUPER impressed with the range and quality of the information. Paco is a true specialist and Monica was a great translator and a great person to enjoy a mezcal with!! Great bar also.
PRICES
We only offer private tours. This means you don't share your mezcal tasting with others.
Total for two person group : US$189
Additional guests : US$52 per head
*Prices are in US dollars & don't include tax.
**We recommend contacting your bank BEFORE trying to book. Overseas banks frequently have an automated block / high alert for any payments linked to Mexico.
Most people attend with a friend, but solo-tasting guests are more than welcome too. The minimum tariff still applies.
About to book? Let's do it!
Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on, if you are a group of more than 2 people.
What will stick with me forever now, is that I know what type of mezcals to buy, and have a story to tell people when I share mezcal with them.
SEATED MEZCAL TOUR TIMES
We time your mezcal tasting so it fits with your dinner plans You can easily stroll or Uber to Mexico City's best restaurants right there in the same neighborhood afterwards.
Tuesday- Saturday
5pm or 5:30pm
photo courtesy of Monica Brockmann: Instagram @ilchapis
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
Special Request? Talk to us!
Two hour Mezcal experience with Paco and Monica. We were SUPER impressed with the range and quality of the information. Paco is a true specialist and Monica was a great translator and a great person to enjoy a mezcal with!! Great bar also.
THE ABSOLUTE BEST FOR A BACHELORS NIGHT OUT!
OR HEN'S PARTY....
This introduction to mezcal is very experiential and just 1.5 hours long, so it's the perfect starter for your International Bachelors event, or Hens' party. (And this way, you can legitimately say you had a truly cultural experience in Mexico City!)
Hosts Paco and former host David (left) with Vblogger Team 'The Way Away'
This is a perfect activity for Bachelor, or Hen's, event in Mexico City. The time of day is perfect for warming up your afternoon, and the location of this seated tour means the best bars and restaurants are right there outside your doorstep . La Roma and La Condesa are the hotspots for nightlife ramblings. Polanco is a 15-25 min Uber/Didi/Beat away ( depending if its 7pm or midnight). If you were really up for it, you could piggy back this tour with the Nightlife Auteur experience with our MX Boilerroom DJ Jocan Deka.
For larger groups, we love to pull out our ancient light-up mezcal travel trunk!
This also means, if you want us to come to you, we can!
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
You'll have Paco give you a treat, tasting some great mezcals, and then going into detail explaining its production, and how it relates to the mezcals that you're tasting. It was a good time.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR PRIVATE MEZCAL TOUR
You won't find any pompous lectures,or tilted pinkies here!
Your session is packed with factual info, local etiquette, and vignettes, but is informal in tone & atmosphere.
Hosts Paco and former host David (left) with Vblogger Team 'The Way Away'
This tasting is informal in style but solid in facts, technical information, tasting notes and anecdotes! Your time is spent learning about the ways in which mezcal is produced, and linking this to actual differences that you can taste immediately in the variety of flavors present in the three single batch mezcals you sample.
Many people who have taken this tour, have tried mezcal before, but were incredibly surprised at how little they knew about the range of notes, cactus types, and forms of production there are!! This tasting brought their level of knowledge and understanding to an all time high. Like wine, connecting tastes to first hand experience is essential.
Just like mezcal itself, we prefer things be palatable, refreshing, and approachable.
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
Two hour Mezcal experience with Paco and Monica. We were SUPER impressed with the range and quality of the information. Paco is a true specialist and Monica was a great translator and a great person to enjoy a mezcal with!! Great bar also.
MEZCAL TASTING ITINERARY
What happens and when.
Thanks to Monica Brockmann for the fabbo photo: Instagram @ilchapis
- A 100% private session.. It's just you and your mezcal maestro team.
- Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours (depending on the questions you ask and what this evokes in the raconteur!)
- Try 3 artisanal and/or ancestral mezcals of denomination first-hand
- Understand why mezcal and tequila are so different.
- Learn about which species of cactus are used for mezcal
- Learn about the variation in tasting notes (it's a complete myth that all mezcals are smoky!)
- Discover how fermentation, production & distillation affect the taste of mezcal.
- Be educated in mezcal drinking etiquette, so you don't look like an idiot!
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
Laura arranged a Mezcal tasting at a small local bar that was the grand finale of a wonderful tour.
WHERE IS YOUR PRIVATE MEZCAL TASTING LOCATED?
You couldn't get a more convenient location for a mezcal tasting! Here's why....
You private mezcal tasting takes places in Roma Norte. From here you can VERY easily get to Centro Historico, Polanco, Juarez, and Condesa - either on foot or by Uber/Didi/Yaxi. That is to say it is very close to all the foodie neighbourhoods with the best restaurants. You couldn't get a better location because after your mezcal tasting you can simply swan on to dinner. Whereever that might be.
If you don't want to travel anywhere at all, then we recommend popping next door to the beautifully ambient and chilled out, La Lavanderia. There you can get a very great traditional food from Oaxaca, such as chalupitas, tlayudas or a massive guacamole bowl complete with mortar and pestle.
No dinner plans?
You're in the right neighborhood! Go for a stroll along Amsterdam Avenue. Or simply step outside and have a cocktail and a Oaxacan tlayuda next door.
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
SUSTAINABILITY COMMENTS
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
CLICK HERE FOR VISITORS TIPS FOR MEXICO CITY>>>
More than 2 people? Remember to click the 'extra guests' add-on.
OTHER MEXICO CITY TOUR FOR FOODIES
FOODIES DELIGHT MARKET TOUR
MEXICAN WINE EXPOSÉE & TASTING
GUEST REVIEWS
Submit your review | |