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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/490399
www.cheersonline.com 14 • April 2015 tequila is. Growing infatuation with tequila has led to greater interest in mezcal. "Absolutely, mezcal is getting more popular and more available," says Leah Marino, beverage director for the Philadephia-based parent company Cantina Dos Segundos and Cantina Los Caballitos. The two Mexican concepts have strong tequila selections, at 160 and 62, respectively. Marino has been growing the mezcal offerings as well, with 20 at Dos Segundos and eight at Caballitos; prices range from $7 to $40 a glass. "Mezcal fits the flavor trends towards bolder and stronger," says the beverage director. "When we opened more than three years ago, we were more tequila-focused, with about 80 tequilas and just six mezcals," says Jason Lerner, owner/bar director of Masa Azul, a Mexican street- food restaurant and bar in Chicago. "Since then I've upped the mezcal as it became more available, and trimmed the tequilas to small-batch producers." Masa Azul carries about 50 examples of each, with a small selection of other Mexican spirits such as raicilla, sotol and bacanora. (See sidebar "Agave Spirits and Cousins," page 16.) Customer have warmed to mezcal, Lerner says. "I couldn't be this strong in mezcal if I didn't have an audience." Along with its backbar shelves, Adelitas has expanded its selection of mezcals, now totaling 49, along with five sotols, a bacanora, and some raicilla. "We not only love our tequila, but we are extremely passionate about all agave distillates," says Rossi. With a name like Mezcal Cantina, it's not surprising that the concept has a vested interest in mescal. "Just over the last six months to a year, we've been selling so much more mezcal," says Shayne Filo, director of spirits and cocktails for Niche Hospitality Group, which operates Mezcal Cantina restaurants in Leominister, MA, and Worcester, MA. While the tequila selection has remained steady at 150, mezcal has grown from a single brand to 40. "Our guests are more educated about tequila and now curious about mezcal," Filo says. COCKTAIL CONNECTION Despite a trend toward more sipping of tequila—and mezcal—the cocktail, especially the Margarita, is the big AGAVE GROWS UP Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina in Denver, which has grown its collection to more than 155 tequilas, has run out of shelf space for all the new expressions. " WE NOT ONLY LOVE OUR TEQUILA, BUT WE ARE EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT ALL AGAVE DISTILLATES." —Brian Rossi, co-owner, Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina, Denver Mezcal Cantina, operated by Worcester MA-based Niche Hospi- tality Group, has upped its mezcals from a single brand to 40.