"M" for Mexico (part 9)

Mexico is Margarita and Mezcal as well!

I am sure that it is easy to picture yourself on a beach, sipping a Margarita made from the famous Tequila. You can have one of these anywhere in Mexico… I promise that the famous cocktail there does not taste the same as in any other part of the world! However, Mexico is not only about Tequila and Margaritas! 

In Mexico City we discovered another drink which is much less known outside Mexico - the pulque, aka octli or agave wine. It is made from the fermented sap of the agave (or maguey), the same plant used to make Tequila. During the Aztec era, pulque was a sacred drink, a beverage reserved for the gods and their priests. With its white color, rather viscous consistency and sour taste, it was unfortunately not our cup of tea despite its holy status... 

Another drink we did not like at all, even though it was recommended by a friend of ours, was the Ojo Rojo - a cocktail made from mixing beer, lime juice, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and Maggi sauce… Reading the list of ingredients already did not sound very promising and the taste simply confirmed it! I guess that one man's meat is another man's poison…

The last but not least drink we did not enjoy was actually the tap water. The only really painful thing in Mexico is not being able to just open the tap and drink water or wash your teeth. We had to deal with bottled water all the time and I promise that this makes you really appreciate the luxury of drinkable tap water in the Western world!

After your first "drinks" experience in Mexico City, the city of Oaxaca will surprise you as well not only with its food but also with its drinks. You can go for a cocktail combining Tequila and cacti syrup and should in no circumstances miss the most famous Oaxaca drink - the Mezcal!

Mezcal and Tequila are popular alcoholic beverages that can be produced only in Mexico and must meet certain quality standards in order to be labeled as such. They are both made from the piña (or the heart) of the agave plant after removing the leaves, and reach similar levels of "booziness". However, some significant differences set them apart.

Mezcal is older than Tequila - it has been enjoyed for centuries by indigenous communities while Tequila was developed only in the 19th century. 

Mezcal bottles have a very specific shape while Tequila bottles are generally similar to those of other strong alcohols.

While you drink Tequila either in shots or mixed in cocktails, you sip Mezcal slowly from a shot glass and without ice as the beverage does not mix well with other substances. 

While Tequila is made only from one variety of agave - the Blue Weber agave, Mezcal can be made from over 400 different varieties of agave. Also, Tequila can be made solely from agave and will be labeled as “100% Agave Tequila”, or not. The latter will be labeled solely as “Tequila” and is required to contain only 51% of agave sugars - the remaining 49% of the liquid can be made from other sugars, such as cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

The agave plant itself can take between 7 and 40 years to achieve full maturity before harvest, depending on the plant type. Both spirits can age as well which will affect their flavor and complexity but their aging process is different. Mezcal is aged in round glass containers or wooden barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, pine, and cedar, while Tequila is aged in oak barrels or stainless-steel tanks. Both spirits are typically divided in four main categories: Blanco for Tequila and Joven for Mezcal (mostly unaged or aged for up to two months), Reposado (aged for two to twelve months), Añejo (aged for one to three years) and Extra Añejo (aged for longer than three years). 

Mezcal production methods are different and more traditional than modern Tequila production ones. The Mezcal piña is slow-roasted in an underground pit oven with wood or charcoal giving it a unique smoky flavor, then crushed either by hand or a stone wheel mill called Tahona in order to extract the juice, which is then fermented and distilled. On the other hand the Tequila piña is steamed in a brick or clay oven, its juice gets fermented by natural or artificial yeast and is distilled at least two times, which explains the spirit’s smoother and sweeter taste. As a consequence of its traditional methods, which impact the cost and time of production, Mezcal is made in smaller batches and is often more expensive than Tequila. 

Finally, both spirits are only allowed to be produced in regulated areas - Tequila can be produced in five Mexican states (Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas) while Mezcal can be produced in nine Mexican states (Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luís Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas). However, the majority of Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca which is the reason we tried a 50° bottle of Mezcal while we were there. It was strong but so smoky and flavorsome. If you ask me, Mezcal is even better than Tequila! 

While we are talking about drinks, let us not forget the Mexican beers - Mexico is one of the world’s top beer-producing countries! 

Its international best-seller is of course the pale lager "Corona" but my personal favorite is the local dark lager "Indio". If you like Guinness, you will love Indio!

Before you start thinking that we are complete drunks who only try alcoholic beverages, our favorite non-alcoholic drinks in Mexico were the aguas frescas (translating into "cool waters"). We particularly enjoyed the Jamaica - an iced hibiscus tea, and the Horchata - a refreshing drink made with ground rice, milk and cinnamon, a little bit like the liquid version of a rice pudding. You can find these almost anywhere in the country.

There are also drinks that you can only taste in a specific state. In Chiapas, we enjoyed a lot the delicious smoothies made from the sweet local fruits. In Oaxaca, we had to try the traditional non-alcoholic drink made from maize and cacao, called Tejate - it was sweet and refreshing.

Oaxaca is not only an amazing city for foodies but also for art, culture, nature, history and celebration lovers! 

The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (yep, another one)!

The first thing we fell in love with in Oaxaca was the bright-colored bougainvilleas... 

As well as the pink shaving brush trees and the yellow cotton trees... 

And then there was the flamboyant street art…

Lots of colours and so much beauty like anywhere else in Mexico...

There were so many hummingbirds!

For the Maya, the hummingbird was a manifestation of a solar deity. 

It was believed that those who were sacrificed reincarnated in this little bird that later descended to Earth.

There were also so many skeletons and skulls…

Not macabre at all but rather happy ones...

It felt like the dead and the alive were all in the city at the same time and there was a party going on!

There were also piñatas - these famous containers, often made of decorated papier-mâché, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration…

Rainbow ribbons were also bringing some party mood…

Intricate metal fences were present as well…

Cute statues were brightening up the streets…

There are elegant churches…

The night views of their facades were different but as lovely as those during the day...

 Their interiors were also spectacular!

The city theater was sophisticated...

Most houses were bright-coloured…

All the hues of the rainbow were present within a single block...

And of course there was the papel picado - the famous Mexican rainbow-colored sheets of paper cut or perforated into elaborate designs!

Shortly after our arrival, we discovered with delight that there was always something festive going on in the city - a wedding, a quinceañera, an anniversary, a parade…

Fridays and Saturdays are particularly busy in Oaxaca!

If you hang out in front of the splendid Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán for a couple of hours, you will witness a wedding or two and maybe even a quinceañera!

The interior of this baroque jewel of a church is breathtaking as well!

Do not miss it, which may be easy if there is a celebration going on in front of it! Bear in mind that the church is not open all the time and you will be lucky to see the interior!

The celebrations will involve huge balloons with the names of the bride and groom or the quinceañera…

They are so colourful (no surprise here)...

You will also see the dancers called Chinas Oaxaqueñas de Casilda with their traditional costumes, braids, decorated flower-filled baskets on their heads and big smiles…

You cannot but notice how beautiful Oaxaca's people are...

The famous Mojigangas will be part of the celebrations as well - they represent the bride and groom or the quinceañera!

Most of the time the giant puppets will look very much like the humans they represent!

You can even bump into the Tiliches (which can be translated into English to mean “junk”, “stuff” or “rag”), also known as “Los Viejos” (or “Old Ones”). They are a representation of the harsh past of the laborers, mistreated by the landowners, that was overcome with music and dance.

The newly married couple and the quinceañera with her girlfriends will be dancing with the Chinas Oaxaqueñas, Mojigangas and Tiliches to the joyful and intoxicating sounds of traditional Mexican music!

Each wedding or quinceañera is followed by a parade in the streets of the city.

And since Oaxaca people do not do things half-way, the celebrations may even involve some magical fireworks!

Followed by more dancing of course...

Watching these well-dressed guests, extravagant celebrations and ubiquitous joy from the sidelines are some indigenous women and girls trying to sell a potpourri of small items and earn a living…

The majority of the indigenous population in Mexico is concentrated in the states of Oaxaca, Yucatán and Chiapas and most of them appear to be struggling and barely surviving… The churches are probably the only places where these unprivileged indigenous people can meet the rest of Mexico’s inhabitants and the tourists…

In addition to its celebratory mood, the state of Oaxaca is also famous for its stunning nature. There are tons of hikes to do around the city. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time and will have to come back for them. However, we managed to hike at other jaw-dropping places in Mexico and were even lucky to get closer to one of the great wonders of the natural world…

Because last but not least, Mexico is also the Monarch Butterflies...