Recap: London Mezcal Week @ TT Liquor
By TATTON & THOMPSON
London Mezcal Week returned for its second year to give the capital a very Mexican flavour between 10th – 16th September 2018, and TT Liquor was right at the heart of it.
The week-long fiesta took the form of a series of events across London, including tastings, dinners, talks, film screenings, and parties, culminating in a 2 day Mezcal Festival at our Shoreditch home.
Meanwhile, throughout the week, attendees were treated to our specially-curated Cellar Bar menu which aimed to showcase the versatility and rare tastes of Tequila’s smokier cousin, providing a true taste of Mexico whether they were novices to the spirit or a mezcal aficionado.
Furthermore, during the week, we were excited to launch the UK’s very first online Mezcal shop, featuring over 2o of the finest Mezcal brands, bringing the joys of the agave spirit to a wider market. Indeed, to this stage Mezcal has largely found it’s way to bartenders’ shelves rather than domestic liquor cabinets, and this initiative was designed to change all that.
On Monday evening, Mezcal Week got underway in rip-roaring fashion as we hosted a very special launch party. Guests got the chance to ‘Meet the Mezcaleros’ during a talk with Global Mezcal Ambassador Phil Bayly and some very special guests all the way from Oaxaca, Mexico.
This was followed by a screening of Pedro Jiminez’ documentary Viva Mezcal, featuring interviews with biologists, agronomists, maestros mezcaleros, researchers, distributors, bartenders and experts on the subject give a perspective of the current situation and the possible future of the mezcal industry.
As day one came to a close, attendees and special guests were treated to the Cellar Bar’s first ever live music performance, as the multi-talented Tertia May took to the microphone to throw out sweet sounds ’til late.
We were also lucky to host the grand finale of the festivities, as Friday and Saturday saw us host the much-anticipated Mezcal Tasting Festival. Over 20 of the finest Mezcal brands were in attendance, doling out their wares to an uneducated yet eager public, giving attendees a unique insight into the processes and stories underpinning each bottle.
Meanwhile, our bar downstairs was taken over by the guys from Ojo Rojo – Bournemouth’s home of all things Mexican, featuring a menu of tasty Latin classics as well as the largest Mezcal and Tequila selection on the south-coast. Their cocktails were available across both nights, and they certainly went down a treat with our guests – stocks were running pretty low come Sunday!
Saturday evening saw the week close with a flourish, with a Mexican Independence Day fiesta rounding things off in fittingly festive style. The afterparty kicked off in the evening in our Cellar Bar, and guests danced the night away to the sounds of some special guest DJs. These included our good friend David Preshaah of Hoxton Radio, Layla Rutherford, and the guys from Teatro Magico – who came down to Shoreditch all the way from Mexico City to grace our decks.
All in all, a fantastic week – and one we won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Thanks to all who came down and all who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make London Mezcal Week such a resounding success. ‘Til next year. ¡Salud!
