How to Plan Your Mezcal Tastings in Oaxaca

If you are planning a trip to Oaxaca, odds are good you have mezcal tasting on your mind.

The good news is that you won't go wanting for more mezcal in Oaxaca. The stores, tasting rooms, and cocktail bars are plentiful beyond even what we expected. The bad news is that mezcal, particularly good mezcal, is expensive and may come at quite the sticker shock.

So in this one, we thought we'd break down ways you can taste mezcal in Oaxaca, share why it is so expensive, and help encourage you to plan a trip out to a palenque to see how agave is grown and mezcal is produced!

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5 of the Best Bars in Mexico City’s Roma Norte (and Nearby)

When we decided to visit Mexico City, we knew we would be imbibing an absurd amount of mezcal and tequilas. These spirits are synonymous with Mexico and, to be fully honest, the best stuff rarely ever leaves the country.

So when we arrived at our apartment in Roma Norte, we knew that we had to explore nearby to find some of the best bars in Mexico City that use the country's most iconic spirits.

As it turns out, the area in and around Roma Norte is a hotspot for amazing cocktail bars, mezcal bars, and even some great spots for another prized alcoholic beverage, pulque, and we really got our fill.

So in this one, we thought we'd share five of the best bars in Mexico City that we tried, all located within walking distance of Roma Norte proper!

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Pujol Review – Truly Superb Dining Experience in Mexico City

Pujol is one of the most sought-after dinner reservations in Mexico City. Chef Enrique Olivera's restaurant has landed on all sorts of “best of” lists, including The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and his work has helped put Mexico City on the map as a fine dining destination.

Seeing as reservations open a year in advance, and our trip to Mexico City was somewhat last-minute, we initially didn't think we were going to be able to experience this institution. However, after obsessively checking the reservations for cancellations every day we were in Mexico City, we finally scored a dinner reservation one afternoon for that same evening. (Read more about how we got Pujol reservations here.)

There are a couple of dining options at Pujol, include a taco omakase experience at the bar, and a la carte or prix-fixe menu options in the main dining room. We were lucky enough to score a spot in the main dining room and knew we had to go for the prix-fixe option. At about $130 USD for seven courses in early 2022, the prix-fixe option is definitely a great value compared to these types of dinners in the US or Europe, for example.

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Culinary Backstreets Mexico City Review – Ultimate Food Tour

We firmly believe you can get to know a city best through its food, and that is especially true of Mexico City- the country's capital and one of the largest cities in the world.

As visiting Mexico City can be, in a word, daunting (even for the most experienced traveler), we decided to take a food tour of the Centro Historico with Culinary Backstreets on our very first day in the city (check it out here). Part of this was to get a feel for the bustling historic center and, more importantly, to start our trip off right with an absurd amount of food.

It was the best decision we made in Mexico.

So in this one, we thought we'd share more about what this food tour was like. To start, we need to set the stage for one rule you need to know upfront: go hungry. You won't be wanting to eat the rest of the day after this one.

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