FACES OF MEZCAL

The mirrored blade of a paring knife etched its way down the curves of a lime green nopale.
Smoke billowed from the pineapple rinds on the open gas range.
The odor of burnt sugar forced tears from every eye in the kitchen.
I sipped my mezcal.

Tasting notes on mezcal fill the entire spectrum - offering up sweet, spicy, floral, fatty, herbal, nutty, grassy, and vegetal profiles. By preserving the diversity of agave species, the variety of farmland, and the families'  traditional methods of distilling, the same final product transitions from a very crisp spirit with a short, clean finish, to a rich mouthful, ripe with complex flavors. The possibilities for pairings are truly limitless. So, when Greg Buda - a talented photographer and the Director of Education behind New York City's world-class cocktail bars Dead Rabbit and BlackTail - asked me to develop desserts that would showcase the breadth of mezcal's flavors, I jumped at the opportunity.

We landed on a playful dessert pairing menu that both complemented and contrasted with the mezcals being poured that night. We pulled inspiration from local produce - sourcing fresh cactus pads, tomatillos, pineapples, and pepitas, and creating a fruity twist on the traditional salsas from the region. We happily changed our plating set-up as the massive Iberico ham - specially flown in for the occasion - took up much more bar space than anticipated. Guests flooded the second floor parlor bar to get a close look at Greg's photographs from his trip to Oaxaca, each capturing the essence of the people, tools, and land used to transform agave into a valuable global export and well-preserved taste of Mexican culture.​

Halfway through the evening - as Del Maguey founder Don Cooper etched words and pictures across small clay copitas with a Sharpie - his laughter drew everyone in around the bar. The packed room raised our mezcal overhead, and toasted "¡Stigibeau!" to the farmers of Oaxaca who dedicate their lives to the craft
​of such a beautiful spirit.

All photos courtesy of Del Maguey Mezcal & Gregory J Buda. Follow his work at budaphotography.com.