THE THRILL OF THE STILL

UPDATE: This tasting is now fully booked. You can join our newsletter for info about future events.

From clay pots to hollow tree trunks, an exploration of distillation’s magic

Saturday, Feb. 3 / 5 pm / $95

You’re invited to join us in our hidden private space in Sunnyside, Queens, for a tasting devoted to one of the most important and mysterious aspects of all distilled spirits: the distillation process itself. With its overtones of both medieval alchemy and modern engineering, distillation tends not to be talked about — or at least is talked about much less, we think, compared with topics like agave varieties, geographic regions, and the romantic back stories of individual mezcal-producing families. Maybe that’s because it’s more abstract, or because it can quickly veer into head-spinning scientific details. And yet you may have already experienced some of the incredible diversity of flavors and aromas that varying distillation techniques can impart. You may have heard talk of clay pot stills, refrescaderas, and so-called Filipino distillation. You may be ready to learn (and taste) much more.

So please join us! Over the course of a few hours, we’ll try at least eight heritage agave spirits collected during our travels throughout Mexico, representing at least a half-dozen distinct styles of distillation. We’ll taste mezcal distilled in hollow tree trunks, copper alembics, and everything in between; we’ll get into some fascinating history about Spanish galleons and trade routes; you’ll hear us utterly geek out about the phrase “internal capture” and hopefully love us for it. There will be an investigation of whether clay-pot mezcal tastes like clay or not, and maybe some rousing talk about the great controversy of whether distilled spirits existed in Mexico before colonization. As always, wherever the conversation leads, you’ll taste spirits you might not try anywhere else, and meet new people around our single communal table.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

To sign up, please fill out the form below, and we’ll send you an email to finalize things and coordinate payment via Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal.

This small-group tasting is appropriate for guests of all backgrounds and experience levels. You can expect some light snacks to accompany the spirits, but not a full meal. Feel free to send an email with any questions or requests: hello@mezcal.nyc.

Thanks for reading — it would be fun to share some spirits and talk distillation with you!

Complete this form to sign up for THE THRILL OF THE STILL and join us on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 5 pm, for a tasting of eight heritage agave spirits and light snacks. We request a donation of $95 per guest.