Mezcal bar boom slated to hit London

A Mezcal bar boom is set to hit London, with the first UK bar dedicated to the Mexican distilled spirit having opened at Wahaca on Charlotte Street.

Mezcaleria bar at Wahaca Charlotte Street

Two further bars are due to open in East London next month, according to Eduardo Gomez, brand sales marketing manager for wine and spirits importer Amathus.

“We’re the UK specialist for Mezcal, so people have been coming to us in search of Mezcals to stock up their bars. Two are due to open next month in Shoreditch,”  Gomez told the drinks business.

“I think the artisanal nature of Mezcal will appeal to Londoners. Unlike Tequila, the majority are made from small, family-owned independent producers,” he added.

London is behind New York on the Mezcal trend however, with the city boasting a number of Mezcal focused bars, including Casa Mezcal, Maya Huel and Death & Co.

“Mezcal is blowing up in New York, it’s really taken off there recently – the Experimental Cocktail Club is using it a lot on its menu,” said Gomez.

Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio Azul

Wahaca’s Mezcaleria bar at its newly opened Charlotte Street site – the eighth and largest in owners Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby’s empire, was first in on the London trend, opening its doors on 1 September.

Spanning the first floor of the restaurant, the bar boasts London’s largest selection of Mezcals, with 26 different 100% agave Mezcals on pour, including Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio Azul, of which only 500 bottles were ever produced.

A number of the Mezcals, such as Los Danzantes and Alipus, are currently only available at the restaurant.

The bar also serves a range of Mezcal cocktails designed by head bartender Jon Anders Fjeldsrud, including Blood and Sand, made with Mezcal, Vermouth and blood orange, and the Pimm’s-inspired Mezcal Cup.

“Mezcal is shaking off its old man image and is being drunk by the cool kids in Mexico. It’s experiencing a similar renaissance to the gin revival in the UK,” Fjeldsrud told db.

Mezcal can be made from a number of different species of agave, with Espadin the most common, while Tequila is made exclusively from blue agave.