Oyamel‘s annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival is back with a new theme this year: Mexican chiles! Since it’s almost March and we’re still getting hit by snow, I’ll take a little heat wherever I can get it… and that includes in my cocktails! At last Tuesday’s preview party, I got to sample the drinks and dishes that will be served during the festival’s opening party on Monday, March 2 . Let’s start with the food. It was great, it always is at Oyamel, with various chiles highlighted in every dish, including dessert (chili-infused Mexican chocolate cookies)! If you enjoy the Nopalitos salad on the restaurant’s regular menu and enjoy a bit of spice, you’ll love the extra kick added to the cactus by Oaxaca chili oil and serrano chiles. For meat lover, we were treated to a birria de cabra, a spicy stew made of goat meat from the Mexican state of Jalisco. Here the marinated goat was served as a taco and given an extra kick with Guajillo chiles.
Beverage Manager Jasmine Chae and Executive Chef Colin King talk about the festival behind the Guajillo chiles marinated goat
Now let’s talk about the drinks. Ever since I had the tequila flight at Masa 14 (bad idea at 2AM) I’ve tended to shy away from blue agave liquor. And that’s my loss because properly mixed in a craft cocktail it can be absolutely amazing. I also know very little about tequila’s cousin mezcal, a spirit made with maguey plant, a type of agave. But who better to learn from than a level four Mezcalier? (I assume that’s the equivalent of a master sommelier, but for Mezcal.) For the Tequila and Mezcal festival, Oyamel‘s Beverage Manager Jasmine Chae crafted four spicy cocktail featuring either tequila and mezcal (obviously) but also the chiles that are the theme of the festival this year. My favourite was La Capital. Between the smokiness of the Herradura Anejo Tequila and the heat of the Guajillo chili it was by far the spiciest offering at the preview party. So much so that I was happy to cool my mouth down with the more refreshing Pica Penino, another tequila-based cocktail made with Milagro Silver, triple sec, cucumber serrano chili and lemon juice.
La Capital Cocktail at Oyamel’s Butterfly Bar
If you’re curious about tequila and mezcal, Oyamel is offering complimentary tastings between 4-6pm in the newly expanded whimsical butterfly bar (I need to know where Jose Andres gets all of his wallpapers!!) throughout the festival, on Tuesday, March 3 – Thursday, March 5 and Monday, March 9 – Thursday, March 12, with brand representatives on hand to provide all sorts of information. For a full taste of all the dishes and cocktails crafted for the festival, attend the festival’s kick-off party on Monday March 2nd, 2015. The kick-off party will feature premium tequila and mezcal tastings, along with the above mentioned food and drinks (you can see a full menu here), plus live music.
Live Music at Oyamel’s Annual Tequila and Mezcal Festival Preview Party
Tickets for the kick-off party are $60 and available online here. Use the code french15 when purchasing tickets for a $15 discount.
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