Mezcal Flight
Photo: Cerebral726 · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

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.

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Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of espadín joven mezcal (Del Maguey Vida or Real Minero are good entry points)
  • 1 bottle of tobalá or tepeztate joven (a wild agave variety; Mezcal Vago or Rey Campero)
  • 1 bottle of reposado or añejo espadín mezcal
  • 4 small clay copitas (or small wine glasses; never shot glasses)
  • 1 orange, sliced into thin wheels
  • 60g sal de gusano (worm salt), or substitute a mix of sea salt, dried chili, and ground toasted oregano
  • A bowl of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chapulines (toasted grasshoppers) as a chaser
  • Crusty bread, to cleanse the palate between sips

Method

  1. Serve mezcal at room temperature; never chilled.
  2. Pour 30ml of each mezcal into separate copitas, set in front of each taster from joven (mildest) to reposado (richest) left to right.
  3. Place sal de gusano in a small pile on a saucer alongside the flight, with orange wheels on a separate plate.
  4. Sip first the espadín joven; smell deeply before tasting. Take a small sip, let it sit on the tongue for 8 seconds before swallowing.
  5. Lick a small pinch of sal de gusano, then bite the orange wheel between sips; this is the traditional Oaxacan palate cleanser.
  6. Move through the tobalá or tepeztate next; note the wild, herbal complexity compared to the espadín.
  7. Finish with the aged espadín; this should taste rounder, woodier, more vanilla-tinged from barrel time.
  8. Discuss agave varietal and terroir between sips. Sip a pepita or chapulín to ground the palate.

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.

Where to eat mezcal flight

Mezcal Flight in Mexico City

Bosforo Mezcaleria ★ 4.6

$$ Cocktail barCentro Historico

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 goSpeakeasy-style velvet-curtain mezcaleria on Luis Moya in Centro that pours 50-plus artisanal Oaxacan mezcales without a sign on the street.

TipTue-Sat 18:00-02:00; the red curtain on Luis Moya is the entrance. Ask the bartender for a Tobala flight.

Directions

Tlecan ★ 4.5

$$ Cocktail barRoma Norte

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 goRoma 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.

TipTue-Sat 18:00-01:00; the bar manager runs a guided spirit flight if you ask. Walk-ins only.

Directions

Los Danzantes Coyoacan ★ 4.4

$$$ Modern Oaxacan MexicanCoyoacan

Los Danzantes in Mexico City is the Coyoacan Jardin del Centenario Oaxacan kitchen, the plaza-side room that pairs house-distilled Los Danzantes mezcal.

OrderMole negro with chicken; a flight of the house Espadin, Tobala and Madrecuixe mezcales.

TipTerrace seats face the plaza but get loud weekends; the upstairs interior is the quieter move.

Directions

Ozimo Tahona ★ 4.5

$$ MexicanRoma Norte

Roma Norte mezcaleria on Calle Cordoba serving small-batch Oaxacan agaves with antojito plates; intimate room, tahona-crushed espadin and tobala bottles.

Why locals goWeekends-only Roma Norte stone-mill sourdough bakery that grinds heirloom Mexican grains on a hand-built tahona for limited-batch country loaves.

TipThu-Sun 09:00-15:00 only; arrive at opening or call ahead. The loaves sell out by 13:00.

Directions

Pulqueria Las Duelistas ★ 4.4

$$ Cocktail barCentro Historico

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 goColorful 1902 Centro pulqueria most tourists pass, pouring 45 flavored pulques and one of the city's most painted interiors.

TipFriday and Saturday afternoons run seven pulque flavors; Mon-Thu only runs five. Cash only.

Directions

Pujol 2 ★ ★ 4.9

$$$$ Tasting MXN 4,500Contemporary MexicanPolancoChef Enrique Olvera

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.

OrderThe Mole Madre Mole Nuevo at the dining-room table; taco omakase at the bar.

Book4 to 6 weeks ahead

TipLunch is the easier service to land than dinner; the bar runs an a la carte taco omakase for walk-ins on quieter nights.

Directions Book

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