A mecca for mezcal: These are the best agave bars in L.A.
“You’ve got to put a bottle of mezcal on the ofrenda,” says Ivan Vasquez, owner of Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria, with four locations across L.A. County and the largest small-batch mezcal collection in the U.S. “For me, and back in the villages, a bottle of mezcal has to be there.
“On Día de los Muertos, you drink a copita with your loved ones,” Vasquez instructs. “It’s the only spirit that keeps our loved ones alive. When I drink mezcal on Día de los Muertos, I’m reunited with my grandpa. Thanks to him, I was introduced to mezcal.”
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While tequila has had a couple centuries to gain an international following, the rise of mezcal and regional spirits like sotol and bacanora is more recent. It was only in the ‘90s that mezcal gained Denomination of Origin (DO) status, which restricts legal and commercial use of the word, and paved the way for it to be sold across the globe.
The spirit, which imparts earthy tasting notes, exploded in popularity over the pandemic, partially because of the heritage involved — mezcal producers, or mezcaleros and mezcaleras, often utilize methods that have been honed across generations and are unique to their family or village. The final product, Vasquez says, delivers a flavor that can be more layered and complex than wine.
Also known as maguey, the spiky agave plant has been revered by Indigenous Mexicans for millenniums, providing food, practical items such as rope and sandals and fermented beverages like pulque. When Spanish colonizers arrived with the still, agave wine was distilled into spirits like tequila, made exclusively from agave tequilana, and mezcal, which can be made from over 40 other agave types.
“Los Angeles is like the mecca right now for agave distillates,” said Rocío Flores, a mezcalera who grew up splitting time between L.A. and Jalisco and now hosts agave tastings and educational experiences, including the program at Guerrilla Tacos. “It’s probably the one place in the world where you can find the most diverse, the most amazing mezcals that you can’t even find in Mexico in one place all together.”
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The global appreciation for Mexico’s ancestral spirits has influenced the tequila industry too. For his part, Vasquez only works with small producers and serves tequila blanco exclusively — no reposados or añejos. When customers ask for corporate brands like Casamigos, he and his staff use it as an opportunity to educate.
“I tell them, ‘Let me bring you several options that are higher proof at a lower price’ and I ask them to enjoy it neat,” he says. “They’re just amazed when they try it.”
L.A. was already a great place to drink agave distillates, but these days the options are overflowing. Included on the list below are agave-focused bars that prioritize stocking small-batch producers and offer flights that encourage imbibers to sip in the traditional style. Some, like Vasquez, even sell rare bottles out of their bars. Whether you’re toasting in celebration or stocking up to savor with your ancestors on Día de los Muertos, these are the best agave bars in Los Angeles.
Chulita
Damian
Gracias Madre
Guelaguetza
Guerrilla Tacos
Las Perlas
Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria
Flights include one with bottles exclusive to Madre and another, “Taste of Mexico,” that offers four options from different Mexican states. You can request a map of Mexico and create your own flight with labels from 15 different Mexican states. Guests are encouraged to drink mezcal the traditional way, by sipping it neat to take in the unique floral, herbal, mineral and, yes, smoky notes. Cocktails are also available.
The food menu features Oaxacan recipes adapted from Vasquez’s mom, with highlights such as fried squash blossoms bursting with quesillo, a folded tlayuda with chorizo or cured beef or pork and a selection of vibrant moles.
Maestro
Mírate
Reis just launched a flight that includes mezcals produced in Guerrero, Durango and Michoacán, paired with a selection of cincho and aged cotija cheeses. For additional food pairings, you can’t go wrong with chef/partner Joshua Gil’s entire modern Mexican menu, including a quesadilla with funky huitlacoche corn and roasted squash with basil in a pipian verde sauce. If you insist on a cocktail, El Taquero with pineapple and lacto-fermented chorizo is like slurping down an al pastor taco yet somehow works brilliantly.
Nativo
Nativo has switched up its ordering system as of late: Place food orders outside at the host stand and drink orders inside at the bar. The tacos are great, especially the mole verde with pork and chicken tinga, as is the generous bowl of shrimp aguachile, swimming in a spicy-piquant green salsa.
Neat
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