Mezal Tasting with Refuge
If you’ve read my previous post about Refuge, you’d know that there’s two things that I will always spend my money on. 1. A good craft cocktail, and 2. A well curated experience. If you haven’t guessed it, we have another one, curated by the one and only.
I tried Mezcal a few years ago, and since then, I’ve been a fan of it. I enjoyed the smokiness and complexity of the taste and what it brought to a cocktail. But I didn’t really know much about it; where it came from, what the smokiness was all about, nothing. But this in depth tasting has deepened my understanding and appreciation for the spirit.
The experience took place in the gorgeous Refuge Event space. We were greeted by the staff, and owner/curator, and event narrator, Bobby Hugel. I have been to wine tastings, whisky tastings, and more, but i’ll say this had to be one of the most in-depth tastings i’ve ever attended. You can tell that Bobby has a deep love for the spirits world, because the level of knowledge, interest, and detail in which he taught us about Mezcal was incredible! We learned so much. Now by drink 4, I was quite tipsy, so I’m going to try and give as much detail as I remember, ok?
We started off with a delicious cocktail, and sat at tables that were prepared with all the things we’d need for the tasting. Each tasting glass had a little lens over it to not release the fumes from the mezcal. Now, what exactly is Mezcal, you ask? Well, like tequila, mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from agave and the majority of Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca. But unlike tequila, mezcal can be made from all agave plants, and tequila can only be made from one type of agave plant so actually, every tequila is a mezcal, but not all mezcals are tequila. And the smokiness? Comes from smoking the agave plant with lava rocks underground before fermentation and distillation.
We had 8 different mezcals to try and with each sample, we were given a description and history on the distillery it came from, where it originated from, how it was produced, and Bobby even told us about his experience visiting some of the distilleries in Oaxaca, and roasting the agave itself, which I found really cool.
After the first 4 samples of agave, we were then given a second cocktail, which was basically a mezcal based negroni. This cocktail was a little too bitter for me, but still good for people who enjoy negronis. We then continued the tasting with 4 more mezcals. My favorite was the Mezonte Racilla Japo. It had this creamy/vanilla taste to it that I absolutely loved. We then went on to learn how depending on how the mezcal is distilled; whether it's distilled in copper or clay, can completely change the flavor profile, along with where they harvested the agave, how much humidity is in the environment, and so much more.
This was such a well curated tasting, and I learned soooo much! By the 5th sample, I barely took any notes and by the 8th sample, let's just say I left feeling great, so I do suggest ubering as well as eating before and after the event. I know there is so much more I'm leaving out, but that just allows you to enjoy the experience when you go yourself! Refuge will be hosting different events throughout the year, but always search for different tastings in your local area. Whether it's mezcal, tequila, whisky, or wine, they are so much fun and really allow you to expand your palate when it comes to knowing what you like! Should you visit Refuge and want to try one of the Mezcals, I suggest you try the Mezcal Vago, as Refuge was the first bar in the US to carry it!
For the latest on Refuge, follow the Refuge IG page to stay up to date on their latest and greatest events, and if you want to learn more about Mezcal, click here.
Mezcal list
From left to right: Click links to view
El Rey Campero Jabali - Candelaria Yegolé, Oaxaca
Real Minero Arroqueño - Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca **
Don Mateo Silvestre - Pino Bonito, Michoacán **
Sotoleros Lalo and Nando Sotol (Red Label) - Chorreras, Chihuahua
Chacolo Brocha - Ixtero Amarillo - Zapotitlan de Vadillo, Jalisco
5 Sentidos Puntas - El Nanche, Oaxaca
Mezonte Raicilla Japo – Hildegardo Joya - Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco**
Mezcal Vago - Sola de Vega, Oaxaca **
** Indicates personal favorites
