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| The sunset tonight is magnificent. I especially love it as background to this hammerhead shark sculpture on the Malecon. |
The Policia Municipal, Guardia Nacional, and Policia Federal are familiar sights in Mexico. One to three officers will frequently ride inside the cage in the back of pickups, while an additional one or more are found inside the cab. The officers are heavily armed and protected. At night the police always have their lights (i.e., red and blue lights) on. This is normal. Which is quite different than how it works in other countries. This increases their visibility. There is no cause for alarm. When the police need someone's attention, they turn on the siren briefly. Earlier today, I was patiently waiting to cross the street. A car made a left turn in front of me. The officer that was stopped at the sign turned on his siren and flagged the car down. Then he pointed to me. I overheard him tell the driver, the pedestrian has the right away and you need to allow them to cross.
The Guardia National was established in 2019 in collaboration with the United States. One other recent development I've noticed is that there are many female officers nowadays. Eric tells me, "In the last four years, the laws have changed, and a woman can only be arrested by a woman officer. That is why there are so many now." It is good to see the patrolling the streets. I have yet to see a single incident in all my travels in Mexico.
This evening I booked an experience via Airbnb. Airbnb and Viator are excellent websites for identifying and booking various travel experiences. In my travels, I have used both sites. The one I use depends on the location and the experience. I am headed to a Mexican Spirits tasting experience with a local Mexican Spirits Club tonight. The experience will pair foods with various Mexican spirits, such as Tequila, Mezcal, Sotol, and others. I figured this would be a great way to learn more about these spirits and Mexican culture.
When I arrive, I see a beautifully decorated table, placemats with four classes of Tequila, and a variety of smaller ceramic cups. Mike and Julie (Seattle, Washington, USA) arrive shortly after. We get to know each other while we wait for the fourth participant. Mike and Julie are in Mexico till the end of March. They have already been to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and now Baja. Shortly after, another gentleman, Martin (France), joins us. Martin lived in La Paz for a year recently. Now he's back for a two-week vacation. 
Across from the table is a large TV. Lola our host, uses the TV to project a supporting PowerPoint presentation from his computer.
Lola is an entertaining host and begins by setting expectations. "Tonight, we will learn how to enjoy and pair Mexican spirits with food. We will enjoy spirits from several regions across Mexico. You learn how the spirits are made and what makes them unique. Before we start, who wants a traditional Mezcal cocktail?" says Lola.
The Mezcal cocktail is a refreshing mix of cucumber and basil flavors. The first spirit we learn about is Tequila. Tequila is unique to Mexico. It is made only in the Jalisco Region.
Tequila is made only from the Blue Agave plant. It takes 7 years for the plant to mature. It is harvested just before the plant flowers. The core or piña is stripped, cooked, and fermented to make Tequila. There are four classes of Tequila, left to right Silver, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo. Silver is not aged after distilling. Reposado is aged 3 to 12 months in Bourbon Barrels. Añejo is aged 1-3 years. And Extra Añejo is aged a minimum of 3 years. The longer Tequila is aged the more complex the flavor profile.
We begin by cleansing our palettes, similar to wine tasting. We begin by smelling the Tequila. Then we swirl the glass to aerate it and smell it again. The whole process reminds me of tasting wine. "Take a tiny sip of Silver Tequila. Just a little kiss. Swish it all around your mouth." says Lola.
"Now I want you to take half the shot in your mouth, savor the tequila, then swallow. After swallowing, exhale gently," he says. I try this and notice the aromas of the Tequila are much more noticeable when I exhale. Further, the need to chase the sip with something else is unnecessary, as the alcohol fumes leave my mouth immediately. I think to myself, this is a useful tip.
Lola instructs us to take the shrimp skewer, chew it, then sip the remaining Tequila and allow them to mix before swallowing. Wow! The silver is incredible with seafood!
As we progress through the four classes, I find that each gets progressively more complex and easier to enjoy. For me, Silver is the one I enjoy the least. The Extra Añejo paired with dark chocolate is out of this world good!
"There are two types of Tequilas. Artisan. And Commercial. All the Tequilas we are sampling are Artisan tonight," says Lola. Artisan Tequilas are made in small batches using only copper stills. While Commercial Tequilas are mass produced.
Then we move to Mezcals. Mezcals originated from the Oaxaca (O a wacca) region in southern Mexico. There are approximately 200 types agave in the world, and Mezcal is produced from about 30-40 types of agave. Unlike Blue Agave, which is only cultivated in farms, agaves from Mezcal are harvested from wild plants throughout Mexico. Mezcals have a noticeably smoky aroma and flavor compared to Tequila. This aroma results from the cooking process, which takes longer, up to a week instead of 3 days, and then Mezcal is distilled in clay instead of copper.
"Mezcals have three classifications. In addition to Artisan and Commercial varieties, there is a Tradicional variety. To receive this label, the entire process from harvest to bottling must be done by hand," says Lola.
Lola shows us how the piña fibers are crushed by the giant stone pulled by hand after being cooked. The crushed fibers are then collected and placed in a vat to ferment.
Each of the Mezcals we try is produced from a different plant. The small bottle on the left is produced from Agave Espadīn, a close relative to the Blue Agave. This Mezcal is my favorite of the four we try. They get progressively bitier and smokey as we work left to the right. We repeat the tasting process for the Mezcals, pairing them this time with an orange wedge, roasted ants and crickets, and a pear and cheese skewer.
Baja, Mexico, is home to a spirit that is endemic to the region. Damiana is a liquor that is known as an aphrodisiac. "If you drink 1/4 bottle, you will have a baby. You drink 1/2 bottle, you will have twins!" says Lola. We all laugh. Lola pours the coffee chocolate liquor over vanilla ice cream for us to sample. This is amazing! It so damn good mixed in with the melting ice cream.
The entire experience lasted close to two hours. I got exactly what I was hoping for. A deeper understanding of these spirits. I didn't realize that the process of making Tequila and Mezcal was so intricate. There are many subtleties ranging from the cooking process to which plant is used. I am really glad I took the time to do this, and it was a great break from all the reflecting I have been doing lately.
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