Mezcal and M'tucci's

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You may have seen that the next monthly Pairing Dinner features Mezcal at M’tucci’s Bar Roma on September 14. Mezcal has certainly evolved in the last few years and, if you haven’t been paying attention, it has become one of the hottest spirits on the market.

Like tequila, mezcal is a spirit made from distilling the heart or piña of the agave plant. Unlike the best tequila, which uses only blue agave, mezcal is not limited to one variety. The most commonly planted and used is espadín (which means “small sword”). It is the most common agave grown in Oaxaca, which produces nearly 90% of Mexico’s mezcal.

Traditionally, mezcal was made by small producers called palenqueros. Now, large distillers have entered the market, some arguing that it has improved the product and others claiming it has made it tougher for small, artisanal producers to compete or to even survive. When my wife and I lived in Mexico, we made our first trip to Oaxaca in 2012. We rented a room from a retired Canadian lawyer, who is a major aficionado of mezcal. He has since published a book and several magazine articles about the spirit.

Alvin Starkman’s company, Mezcal Educational Tours, is the choice for visiting small distilleries when you go to Oaxaca. His tours were booked when we were there, but he sent us to two small places, where they made their mezcal by roasting the piñas in underground pits, then crushing them with a stone wheel that was mule-driven. They sold their products in plastic milk jugs.

At first I didn’t fall in love with mezcal, but learned that a small squeeze of citrus opens up the esters and actually softens it a bit. If you have never had an Oaxacan Old Fashioned, you are missing a special cocktail.

M’tucci’s Company Chef, Shawn Cronin, M’tucci’s Bar Roma’s Executive Chef, Damien Lucero and General Manager, Amanda Cronin sampled mezcals and created the menu to pair with each unique spirit. You’ll notice below the food is a M’tucci’s blend of Mexican and Italian.

“When we were trying to figure out what the theme was for the final pairing dinner at Bar Roma for this year, our service manager Audrey came up and said, ‘My friend sells really traditional mezcals, you guys should try them’. Never one to back down from tasting agave, we set it up,” Shawn said.

”As soon as we started trying these, we realized that we had no idea what mezcal was. I was always under the ignorant assumption that mezcal was a smoky form of tequila. Nothing was further from the truth. Finding out that a lot of the big names that I had tried were over-smoked and aggressive for no reason. We started tasting these and experienced so much more nuance, so many different flavors. Instantly we said let's go outside the box and south of the border for this menu.”

"Knowing that the majority of the mezcals we chose for this dinner came from Puebla and were influenced by Oaxaca, those were the flavors we wanted to try and show off albeit with a few twists. Tinga is a favorite of mine but usually calls for chicken. We thought the smoky chipotle and sweet onions would pair beautifully with lamb. Mole Poblano has an amazing depth and the more we thought about it, the more the duck seemed obvious.  All and all, once the chef team finished with this menu we knew we had to try and call in sick so we could sit down and enjoy this dinner.”

“A lot of people don’t like mezcal, because they say it’s too smokey. That isn’t the case with the five mezcals we are featuring,” Shawn said.

While most mezcal is produced in Oaxaca, our selection of five top shelf mezcals features Bosscal Damiana from Durango, Zinacantán and Montelobos from Puebla, and Ojo de Tigre, which is a blend of Oaxaca espadín and Puebla tobalá. The tobalá agave is a slow-growing, low-yield mezcal. The smaller agave piñas take 10-15 years to mature.

Zincantán Papalometl only produced 80 litres of their Pechuga in 2022 and a bottle will set you back at least $140. Traditionally made for special celebrations, Pechuga is a peculiar style of mezcal. A flavored, re-distilled version of the spirit, its name comes from the practice of including a chicken or turkey breast in the still during a second distillation. (Pechuga means breast in Spanish.)

As vapor passes through the meat, which is hung above the boiling mezcal, it infuses the spirit with full-bodied, earthy flavors. A range of other flavor-giving ingredients are also traditionally added to the boiling spirit, including fruits, vegetables, and spices.

M’tucci’s Online Store is Now Open!

New Menu Items at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

M’tucci’s Moderno Sponsors The Enchantment Games

The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy Honey Badgers!  Sign up today for one of the competitive backyard game tournaments (Bocce Ball, Corn hole, or Spike Ball) before they fill up!  Be sure to check out and take a turn at our skateboarding and trike exhibitions. Support the only ASL school in the country that mixes hearing and hearing-impaired students in the same class. Buy the Honey Badger Cocktail at M’tucci’s Moderno and help the Honey Badgers!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli - Calabrian Chile/Ricotta - Beef Tips, Red Onion, Spinach, Taleggio Cream Sauce, Pecorino, Micro Greens

14 oz. NY Strip - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $37

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33

Braised New Mexico Bison Ragù - House Made Pappardelle, San Marzano Tomatoes, Peorino, Parsley $29

Weekend Cocktail

Jolly Gin Giant - Aviation Gin, Gifford Passionfruit, Aperol, Coconut Alchemist, Egg White, Fresh Lime Juice, Peychaud Bitters


M’tucci’s Moderno

6oz Black Angus Filet - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Salsa Verde $41

Pan-Seared Barramundi - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $39

Chicken Scallopini - Artichokes, Capers, Mushrooms, Spaghettini with Lemon Butter Sauce $21

Weekend Cocktail

Honey Badger - Jameson Irish Whisky, St. Germain, Fresh Lemon Juice, Honey Simple Syrup, Muddled Cucumber

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Sackett Farms Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin - Warm Beet and Pecan Salad, Citrus Dress Arugula $23

Pan-Seared Ruby Red Trout - Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $23

14 oz. Boneless Ribeye - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Compound Butter $42

Weekend Cocktail

Impassionable - M’tucci’s El Tesoro Reposado, Campari, Passionfruit Alchemist, Agave Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice

M’tucci’s Bar Roma

Sackett Farms Double Cut Pork Chop - Purple Potato Fingers Sautéed with Herb Oil, Grilled Asparagus, Mushroom Gravy $34

Pan-Seared Grouper - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $31

Weekend Cocktail

The Flamingo - House Infused Hibiscus Gin, House Made Lemonade

Live Music for August & September

M’tucci’s Bar Roma - 6:30pm Wednesday

9/6 Rj Perez 

9/13 Shane Wallin 

9/20 Lani Nash 

9/27 Cali Shaw

M’tucci’s Moderno - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday 

9/1 Cali Shaw

9/7 Gilbert Uribe

9/8 Javier Ortega 

9/14 Shane Wallin 

9/15 Eryn Bent

9/21 RJ Perez 

9/22 Lani Nash

9/28 Justin Nuñez 

9/29 Matt Jones

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday

9/1  Javier Ortega 

9/7 Eryn Bent 

9/8 Chessa Peak

9/14 Matt Jones 

9/15 Melissa Rios 

9/21 Gilbert Uribe

9/22 RJ Perez 

9/28 Shane Wallin

9/29 Cali Shaw

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!