Mezcal Spotlight: San Mezcal

By Jonathan Lockwood

Before San Miguel’s modest boom in mezcalerías, there were only a couple places where you could find the good stuff, and their offerings were on the slim side. But in 2018, San Mezcal quietly planted its flag and reshaped the landscape for local agave lovers. It opened at Recreo 88, a stone’s throw from Parque Juárez, right next door to the well-loved La Parada. And it didn’t come to play around. From the beginning, San Mezcal was a mezcalería with an impressively massive selection.

At the center of it all is Julio Hernández, 42, who grew up right here in the San Antonio neighborhood of San Miguel. His first experience with mezcal wasn’t some mythical trip to a far flung Oaxacan palenque. No, his was far simpler: a teenage party, a bottle passed around, and a first taste of Salmiana—our own Guanajuato-grown agave. Herbaceous and mineral-driven, it stuck with him. Later, when people handed him bottles from Oaxaca, he couldn’t quite relate. It was different. Not necessarily worse, just… different. Julio worked in bars and restaurants all over town. He started collecting bottles, building a library of agave spirits from all across México. And while he always had a soft spot for the flavors of home, he didn’t shut the door on the rest, wisely realizing that even if they weren’t his favorites, they’d be somebody else’s.That’s definitely something I look for in a mezcalería owner.

Today, San Mezcal carries around 150 different mezcal labels, with offerings from all nine states in the official Denomination of Origin: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí, Durango, Puebla, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. But that’s just the beginning. You’ll also find an outstanding selection of mezcal’s lesser-known cousins: Sotol, Raicilla, Bacanora and Pox.

And yes—Tequila is there too. Because like it or not, tequila is mezcal, just a particular category, usually a bit more commercial.

Rounding out the list are some thoughtful choices in Mexican beer and wine, in case you thought this was just a tasting room. It’s not. San Mezcal is a full experience—food, drink, and cultural hospitality bundled under one warmly lit roof. To deepen his own knowledge, Julio took a comprehensive workshop, earning the title of Master Mezcalier. Serious training in everything from agave botany to terroir, distillation technique, and regional flavor profiles. On a recent Sunday night, my wife Cecilia and I sat with Julio. He reminded me of myself when guests come to our place for a tasting—constantly popping up to grab bottles, pour sips and watch our faces while we sipped.

His current favorite? A Cenizo mezcal from Durango—dry, woodsy, with a whisper of menthol. But we also tried a clean, peppery Tobasiche, a round and generous Arroqueño, a few Sotoles, and a Pechuga distilled with chicken breast and mole poblano. I used to scoff at such concoctions, but this one? It landed.

And let’s not skip the food, because it’s no afterthought. I started with a polenta tamal filled with verdolagas and hoja santa, covered in mole and pico de gallo. Cecilia went with the pork belly carnitas, paired with sweet potato, cardamom, and a miso-orange gravy that shouldn’t work—but absolutely does. We shared a great spinach salad, and then, because sometimes life demands it, we each had a burger: hers the Classic loaded and topped with cheddar, mine the Burger au Poivre, draped in peppercorn demi-glace and blue cheese, both served on a toasted brioche bun. Excellent. And we finished by sharing the tamalito de chocolate relleno with pastry cream and miso caramel. ¡Delicioso!

I usually post up in the bar, but San Mezcal has a larger adjoining room, perfect for events, tastings, or overflow when the place fills up. And locals love the Monday special: from 3:00p.m. to 10:00p.m., you get a free kitchen’s choice tapa with every mezcal, cocktail, spirit or wine. It’s a solid excuse to start your week with a little mischief.

Running the length of the place is a massive, typographic mural that reads: “Con pecado se nace, con santidad se muere, y en el camino mezcal se bebe.” One is born in sin, one dies in holiness, and on the way one drinks mezcal. Leave it to Mexicans to turn theology into a drinking plan—and somehow make it feel like wisdom.

San Mezcal isn’t just a place to drink. It’s a place to experience Mexico in its raw, refined, and glorious contradiction. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Jonathan Lockwood is an American Voice Talent living in San Miguel de Allende, México. He is also a Mezcal lover, explorer, and collector and writes the Mezcal Maniac Substack. Read and subscribe here: mezcalmaniac.substack.com