Valladolid: Mezcal Tasting & Signature Cocktail Experience

4.98

(124 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“This one’s smoky like the mountains in Oaxaca — you’ll taste it right away,” said Martín, our guide, as he poured the first glass. I’d never really thought much about mezcal before this day in Valladolid. The tasting room was cool and dim after the heat outside, with clay cups lined up on a wooden table that still smelled faintly of limes and wood polish. There were only six of us, but it felt like we’d been invited into someone’s home — maybe because Martín kept calling us compadres after every sip.

I’m not sure what I expected from a mezcal tasting experience in Mexico, but I didn’t think I’d be talking about agave plants like old friends by the third pour. Each mezcal had its own story — one from Nayarit tasted almost grassy, another from Oaxaca was sharp and earthy. Martín explained the difference between espadín and tobalá while we tried to pronounce them (I definitely failed at least once). He showed us how to “kiss” the mezcal instead of shooting it back — honestly, that changed everything. Somewhere between sips, someone asked if there was a trick to not making a face; Martín just grinned and handed us orange slices dusted with chili salt.

The signature cocktail came out last — bright green with fresh herbs on top. It tasted like summer and smoke at once. I caught myself watching sunlight flicker through the glass while people swapped travel stories in Spanish and English. The whole thing felt slow and easy, nothing rushed or forced. Even now I can remember that first smoky aroma when we walked in; it sort of lingers with you after you leave.