Drink is best with food. Your palate might not perform perfectly, but you’ll probably enjoy the experience more with some of these things on the side.
Favorites
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Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans - These combine the Oaxacan staples of coffee and cocoa into one delicious complement to any relaxed mezcal sip.
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Sal de Gusano - Savory ‘Worm Salt’, made from moth larva found on maguey plants, ground into a crumbly paste with salt and chilis.
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Honey - A natural complement to mezcal since it’s made by some of its most prominent local pollinators, bees. Honey’s enzymes can help break down the mezcal’s oils in your mouth to clear your palate in between sips.
Palate Cleansers
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Fruit - The best ones for a tasting have either acids or enzymes, to help break down the mezcal’s alcohols and oils. Try citrus like orange or lime for acids, and tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, or guava for enzymes.
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Coffee Beans - These can be smelled to clear your nasal palate between sips, though some evidence shows that sniffing something neutral like the inside of your elbow works just as well.
Small Bites
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Chocolate - Cocoa’s abundance in Oaxacan cuisine makes it a natural complement to mezcal. The more cocoa the better.
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Chapulines - Toasted grasshoppers seasoned with garlic, lime, salt, and chiles. They have a similar umami flavor to sal de gusano but with some crunch.
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Nuts - Any will do, though Oaxaca is known for peanuts and pecans. The biggest difference will be between salted or unsalted, so try both.
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Cheese - If you can’t get Oaxacan cheese, a variety of cheeses is the next best thing.
Garnishes
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Tajín - A dry spice blend of salt, chilis, and lime, adds a bit of spice and saltiness.
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Salt - Acts as a counterpoint to boost flavors of sweetness and citrus acidity.
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Citrus - Acidity can slowly break down alcohol, reducing the intensity of its burn.
What do you enjoy with mezcal?