The sisters behind Austin's popular Veracruz All Natural taquerías are starting another new venture. La Mezca, an "intimate mezcalería," will open this summer at 1905 Aldrich St., the space next door to Veracruz Fonda & Bar in the Mueller neighborhood.
Authenticity is a common thread through the Veracruz restaurants and food trucks, as Reyna and Maritza Vazquez remember what inspired them in the country where they grew up. In the case of La Mezca, it was actually visits as an adult that made a strong impression.
Chef Reyna Vazquez hadn't been back to Mexico for 20 years when she started a series of visits to Oaxaca, where she got to know the families making mezcal and the methods they used. There are many regions that make mezcal with many types of agave, but Oaxaca is commonly seen as the heart of all things mezcal. In Oaxaca, Vazquez was inspired by stone mills turned by horses, earthen pit ovens, and the history behind the art, according to a press release.
Oaxaca also isn't the only provenance for the mezcals that will be on the beverage list. There will be more than 20 mezcals and ancestral agave spirits from Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, and San Luis Potosí, and they'll all be made by small family producers, some four generations in.
Sebastian Cajas and Bryan Ruiz will take the lead on the bar team, ensuring that guests understand everything they're tasting, from the differences between agave spirits and varieties used to the regional variations that affect the end product. Guests can order flights, 10 premium tequilas and regional sotols, and seasonal cocktails. Botanas (snacks) will include street-style tacos that were created specifically to pair with certain spirits.
There are no photos of the space yet, but the release promises lots of color, inspired by Día de los Muertos ofrendas. It also calls the space "reverent and modern — a cultural bridge between tradition and contemporary Austin."
La Mezca will be open Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 5 pm. Mondays and Tuesdays will be reserved for private catas (tastings), master classes, and appearances by maestros y maestras mezcaleros.
