Side-by-side tasting of mezcales joven (young), reposado (rested), and añejo (aged) from Oaxacan distillers, served in small clay copitas with worm salt and orange slices.
Where to eat it: 6 restaurants across 1 city.
Mezcal predates tequila as the original Mexican agave spirit, distilled in Oaxaca since the 16th century from native maguey (agave) varieties: espadín, tobalá, tepeztate, and arroqueño. Mexico City's modern mezcaleria boom began with Bosforo in Centro and Los Danzantes in Coyoacan around 2010, followed by Tlecan, La Clandestina, and Ozimo Tahona.
Tip from the editors. Never shoot mezcal; the saying is 'mezcal se besa, no se toma' (mezcal is kissed, not drunk). Real mezcal is meant to be tasted in 30ml pours over 20 minutes, not slammed.
Bosforo Mezcaleria (Cocktail bar) in Mexico City: Tue-Sat 18:00-02:00; the red curtain on Luis Moya is the entrance. Ask the bartender for a Tobala flight.
Why locals love it: Speakeasy-style velvet-curtain mezcaleria on Luis Moya in Centro that pours 50-plus artisanal Oaxacan mezcales without a sign on the street.
Tip: Tue-Sat 18:00-02:00; the red curtain on Luis Moya is the entrance. Ask the bartender for a Tobala flight.
Roma Norte mezcal bar on Alvaro Obregon, name means place of fire in Nahuatl; Anagrama-designed prehispanic-tomb decor, World's 50 Best Bars #23 in 2025.
Why locals love it: Roma Norte pre-Hispanic agave-spirit bar on Avenida Alvaro Obregon ranked No. 3 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025, with rare distillates from female mezcal makers.
Tip: Tue-Sat 18:00-01:00; the bar manager runs a guided spirit flight if you ask. Walk-ins only.
Los Danzantes in Mexico City is the Coyoacan Jardin del Centenario Oaxacan kitchen, the plaza-side room that pairs house-distilled Los Danzantes mezcal.
Signature: Mole negro, Quesillo tetela, Mezcal flight
Order: Mole negro with chicken; a flight of the house Espadin, Tobala and Madrecuixe mezcales.
Tip: Terrace seats face the plaza but get loud weekends; the upstairs interior is the quieter move.
Roma Norte mezcaleria on Calle Cordoba serving small-batch Oaxacan agaves with antojito plates; intimate room, tahona-crushed espadin and tobala bottles.
Why locals love it: Weekends-only Roma Norte stone-mill sourdough bakery that grinds heirloom Mexican grains on a hand-built tahona for limited-batch country loaves.
Tip: Thu-Sun 09:00-15:00 only; arrive at opening or call ahead. The loaves sell out by 13:00.
Pulqueria Las Duelistas is colorful 1902 centro pulqueria most tourists pass, pouring 45 flavored pulques and one of the city's most painted interiors.
Why locals love it: Colorful 1902 Centro pulqueria most tourists pass, pouring 45 flavored pulques and one of the city's most painted interiors.
Tip: Friday and Saturday afternoons run seven pulque flavors; Mon-Thu only runs five. Cash only.
Pujol in Mexico City is Enrique Olvera's two-Michelin-star Polanco tasting room on Tennyson, the kitchen that built modern Mexican fine dining around mole.
Order: The Mole Madre Mole Nuevo at the dining-room table; taco omakase at the bar.
Tip: Lunch is the easier service to land than dinner; the bar runs an a la carte taco omakase for walk-ins on quieter nights.
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