While tequila holds the title as Mexico’s most popular drink, mezcal is rapidly gaining attention for good reason — it’s a wine lover’s spirit. Mezcal producers, or mezcaleros, utilize a range of wild and cultivated agave species that, coupled with regional terroir, provide distinct flavors and textures. Add the various production processes into the mix, and one could spend a lifetime trying to understand this spirit. Though Oaxaca serves as the heart of mezcal production, the designation of origin (D.O.) allows mezcal to be made in nine Mexican states.

Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning to explore the category, Mexico City offers a great starting point with its range of bars, shops, and tasting salons. Given the city’s sprawling layout, this guide breaks down the options by neighborhood, including where to stay for a mezcal cocktail. 

Roma

Tlecān

Mexico City’s cocktail scene has earned an international reputation, in part due to the slew of awards bestowed on its bars by 50 Best. Named after the Náhuatl word for “place of fire,” Tlecān landed on the 50 Best Bars list for being a mezcaleria with a unique point of view, notably by celebrating Mexican heritage on the menu and with decor. Earthen hues and clay pottery textural cues evoke the wild desert landscapes where agave grows. A deep reverence for Prehispanic culture is evident with the iconic Disc of Death sculpture that adorns the bar and the artisanal agave distillates sourced from small, independent producers across Mexico.

Co-owner Eli Martínez, the former head bartender at Pujol, designed a drink menu that highlights the differences in distillates through both neat pours and inventive cocktails in the standing-room-only space. Signature drinks like the Paloma Blanca, made with carbonated clarified grapefruit juice, mezcal, lime, and grapefruit salt, and the Tascalate Sour, inspired by an ancient beverage from the Mexican state of Chiapas, highlight the menu’s approach. Reservations are suggested though not required.

El Palenquito

Recommended by Tosba Mezcal’s Elisandro Gonzalez, an artisan producer in North Oaxaca, El Palenquito (sister bar to La Clandestina) features a slew of small brands discovered by the owner who travels throughout the Oaxacan state to source mezcal and transport it in giant water jugs. Written in Spanish (use Google translate), the menu offers extensive details about the production methods for each spirit. Order tastings by the ounce or small pitcher. As with wine, the best way to learn about mezcal is to taste side-by-side. Order a flight and compare agave varieties, production methods, and even terroir across regions in Oaxaca or states in Mexico. Don’t forget a side of chapulines (fried grasshoppers) to snack in the dark, moody space.

Recia

Located in Roma Norte, Recia was founded by Ana Blanco and Alberto Espinosa, who have a decade of mezcal culture and hospitality experience combined and collaborations with families from different regions of Oaxaca. Their contemporary, elegant tasting room is inside an emblematic building built by former president Porfiri Díaz and filled with history and legends. Take the elevator to the top floor, then seek out the old metal knocking handle. Inside, you’ll follow your hosts down a gorgeous marble hallway to Recia’s private mezcal experience. Guests taste mezcal mostly from wild and semi-wild rare and relatively unknown agave species. Book through email or DM on Instagram @recia_mx.

AlmaMezcalera

Founded in 2009 by Erick Rodriguez, AlmaMezcalera is known by insiders for its unique mezcal tasting experience. Often called the “Indiana Jones of Agave,” Rodriguez sources mezcals from 23 small producers, including regions outside Oaxaca like Puebla, Michoacán, and Durango. The makers exclusively rely on traditional mezcal production methods with no modern equipment and batches ranging from 5 to 80 liters. Tastings are held in his Roma Sur bodega, filled with artisanal artifacts and aging mezcals. Rodriguez promotes sustainability and fairness, with AlmaMezcalera growing purely by word of mouth. Contact Erick Rodríguez on Instagram @almamezcalera, @pal_alma_mezcal, or Whatsapp +52 55 1201 7844 for an appointment.

Tianguis Mezcalero

Tianguis Mezcalero (TM), founded by Paloma Rivera Uribe in 2015, started as an experiment to foster the sale and exchange of mezcals among friends outside the confines of the traditional retail market. It has grown into an independent project that promotes traditional artisanal mezcals in Mexico City. TM focuses on cultural events that showcase mezcal alongside the cuisine, music, and traditions of these communities. By collaborating with producers and artisans, TM ensures fair practices and pricing while fostering awareness of mezcal customs and traditions. It also distributes mezcal to various venues and offers tastings, training, and agrotourism experiences, supporting more than 50 families from 16 mezcal projects across nine Mexican states. Tastings with TM suit more experienced spirits consumers with some grasp of the Spanish language. Follow @tianguismezcalero on Instagram for events and tastings or reach out for a private experience at the warehouse via email [email protected].

MisMezcales

If you’re looking to dive deep into mezcal, MisMezcales is the perfect place to start. It’s both a shop and private tasting salon owned by Omar Trejo. Trejo speaks excellent English which helps when explaining his rare collection of small-batch mezcals. Omar offers samples along with detailed stories of each mezcal, including its family and brand history, making the experience both educational and personal. His knowledge is vast, yet he remains approachable for the novice. While most bottles are for sale, be aware that a few may not be labeled for easy customs clearance.

La Condesa

La Clandestina

This diminutive spot between the Condesa and Roma Norte neighborhoods lands on nearly every list of mezcalerias to visit in Mexico City, thanks to its dedication to the spirit. The owners of La Clandestina are passionate about mezcal, offering dozens of artisan options sourced from around Mexico. While the exterior appears unassuming, the dimly lit interior features a glowing hot pink wall lined with glass mezcal barrels and feels like an insider’s secret, especially when you snag one of the candlelit tables in the back rooms. The cocktail list incorporates Mexican flavors like avocado, hierbabuena, hibiscus, and habanero. To explore the breadth of the category, order a flight of mezcals. Snacks and small bites include tacos, fondues, and tlayudas (traditional Oaxacan tortilla “pizzas”), all available with grasshoppers, should you choose to add the popular crunchy insect.

Mezcalería María Sabina

Mezcalería María Sabina, named after the healer and shaman from Oaxaca, is a rustic mezcal bar built inside a house from the 1940s. Featuring original exposed brick as the bar’s backdrop, the space highlights over 50 expressions of ancestral and artisanal mezcal from small-batch mezcales that emphasize respect for tradition and the environment. The selection has been carefully curated by the bar manager Adrián Vázquez who also runs the mixology program. Vázquez creates thoughtful, delicate mezcal-based cocktails using infusions, salts, and syrups made in-house. For example, the Lágrimas de Aurora (Aurora’s tears), combines mezcal with vermouth infused with chipotle and garnished with a salt blend of Mexican herbs such as hoja santa, avocado leaf, chilcuague, and raíz de oro. On weekends, the space hosts special events with live jazz and DJs spinning vinyl.

Tugurio Boutique

This small retail shop recently opened in the Condesa neighborhood just steps away from Mondrian Condesa. Walk into Tugurio Boutique and taste any of the artisan Mexican distillates featured on the wall, or book a private tasting experience. Not only are most bottles in the shop not exported, you’re unlikely to find them anywhere else in Mexico City. The owners, with a shared background in mezcal production and Michelin-starred restaurants, source from small producers around the country, as well as in Oaxaca through their partner Cynthia Ruiz Villalobos. Villalobos works with an NGO to help families bring their tiny batches of mezcal to market through the label Aventureros del Mezcal, some of which are sold through Tugurio. The dive bar across the street, El Aserrín, doesn’t look like much but Turgurio’s owners recently took it over to provide affordable access to their mezcals that might otherwise cost three times the price to taste in a restaurant like Pujol.

Centro Historico

Bósforo

Pass through the red curtains to find unpretentious and boisterous Bósforo, a downtown bar devoted to mezcal. Set in an unfinished minimalist space defined by tall ceilings and a long, slim bar, drinking is a standing-room-only affair. If you arrive early, you might snag a floor seat in the small open loft above. A mix of young professionals and artists looking to unwind crowd into the Centro Histórico district bar. Though the heart of the city is experiencing a renaissance, hip drinking spots are few and far between. Bósforo offers an impressive selection of mezcal that’s sourced well beyond the heart of Oaxaca to include lesser-known regions like Guerrero, Michoacan, Puebla, and San Luis Potosi.

Where to stay in Mexico City

Brick Hotel

With its prime location for mezcal bar hopping, Brick Hotel is probably the most elegant property in the lively Roma neighborhood. This boutique hotel housed in a restored Belle Époque mansion boasts membership in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. It features 17 stylish rooms and roomy signature suites that blend elegant historic details with modern design. The ground-floor terrace serves as a lively gathering spot by day, turning into a chic restaurant by night with excellent cocktails made from an extensive mezcal list. From $300

Circulo Mexicano

Opened in July 2020 by Grupo Habita, hotel Círculo Mexicano occupies a beautifully restored 19th-century residential building in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. Designed by Ambrosi Etchegaray, the hotel blends minimalist modern aesthetics with cultural heritage. Its 25 spacious minimalist rooms, inspired by Shaker design, offer a serene retreat, while the ground floor features curated shops and a mercado with dining options led by renowned chef Gabriela Cámara. The rooftop boasts a pool, bar, and restaurant, offering sweeping city views and a rotating menu of modern Mexican cuisine and excellent Mezcal-based cocktails. From $245

Mondrian Condesa

The brand’s first foray into Latin America, Mondrian chose a former office complex to renovate into an art-filled, design-lovers’ boutique hotel. Excellent location aside, the food and beverage are the property’s strong suit with a lovely ground-floor terrace serving excellent margaritas and classic Mexican cuisine. A newly opened rooftop bar buzzes at night with young and beautiful locals sipping creative cocktails. From $155