Mezcal focused cocktail bar. Lighting is fairly dim but warm, lit mostly by candles except for the…read moreoutside seating which is exposed to the streetlights and traffic. Honestly the openness is welcome on this cool autumn day although the sounds of cars and people was sometimes a touch distracting. Music was fun but not particularly heavy, maybe more of a casual date than something velvety. Service was quite attentive and prompt although I did arrive quite early and there weren't very many people there. Not all the waitstaff are very fluent in English but they are happy to bring someone who is if you have questions. They are the sister bar/restaurant to La Clandestina which is literally right next door which also focusses on Mezcal. Honestly, I don't really know what the difference is between the two aside from the people who are literally mixing the drinks and serving you as the house mezcals are also under the La Clandestina name.
Ordered their Habanero house cocktail which was a mix of their Espadin Joven Mezcal, orange liqueur, and a raspberry/bluebery/habanero syrup garnished with a dehydrated orange slice and rimmed with salt, chili, and maybe some more habanero. Note, the menu doesn't actually mention the syrup, I dragged that out of them since I was wondering why the cocktail was so pink and also tasted like it definitely had more than mezcal and orange liqueur in it. The end cocktail is a light and fruity affair but not particularly sweet or acidic and actually balanced out with the body and smoke of the mezcal. I normally despise salt rims, finding it overpowering on first sip and nonexistent on the next but theirs toned down the salt levels enough that each sip around the rim was actually quite pleasant. The habanero in the syrup maybe offers a smidge of vegetal notes and a little bit of spice if you're particularly sensitive to it but the rim itself was actually a delight, giving a light tingle to the lips with each sip. I wouldn't say the cocktail was particularly spicy but more tingly which I found myself actually preferring over other chili included cocktails I've had in the past.
They do offer a variety of bottles of tequila and mezcal to sell and take home with you, notably the ones under the Clandestina name that are made just for the bar. Not all of these tequilas and mezcals are available to try directly but the bartenders will offer you a shot of the closest one that is available on the menu (mind you, trying a shot is just paying for an ounce/35 ml of the stuff but that's all on the menu). I decided to give that a shot before biting the bullet on a whole bottle of mezcal. The shot of mezcal comes in a glass wider than a traditional shot glass so you can actually sip the thing comfortably and they also give you a few orange slices with tajin to chase/nibble on. Apparently they offer a flight of mezcal which I'd honestly recommend, especially if you're here with some friends. Definitely recommend coming by for well executed cocktails but particularly for the chance to try Mezcal of varying regional origin, age, and abv.
