It’s a nice Saturday night. You feel good and excited to be out with your friends, but when the bartender asks you, “What will you have?”, you’re stumped. Or, maybe you’re perusing the spirits aisle after a long day at work and you want something that will help you to unwind a little, but you don’t know what exactly it is that you’re looking for. The walls of bottles and labels on the bar or down the grocery aisle don’t help because they all start to look the same after a while and you’re looking for something new, and something…different. You’re quietly driven by the pull of a craving for a new taste, but it’s not just the new taste that you’re seeking, is it? Because deep down you’re being driven to seek out, not just a new “go-to drink” or cocktail, but what you’re looking for is a new EXPERIENCE. An experience that is new, fresh, raw, and something that you will never forget.
That is what it was like for David and Rick when they tried mezcal for the first time a few years ago. While on a trip to Mexico City with their mutual friend and host, Victor, David and Rick were invited to sample some freshly distilled mezcal by a friend. Their friend, a local, explained to them that it had just been delivered from Oaxaca and that it was still fresh and pure. All three of the men knew that they couldn’t pass up this opportunity to sample and so after it had been poured straight out of the jug, each of them took a sip.
That small pour of mezcal had a taste that was strong, delicious, and unique. Freshly delivered from the farm where it had been harvested and distilled, the mezcal had an unrelenting rawness and freshness that stood out to both men. Full of minerality, the robust flavor contained notes that were both sweet and smoky; flavors that were all encased and delivered with a satisfying punch. With previous experience working as bartenders and in the hospitality industry, the taste left an impression on David and Rick. It stood out to Victor as well. The guys realized though that it wasn’t just mezcal that was being poured out of the jugs, but rather it was a special experience that was a reflection of where it had come from - the families, the farms, the plants, and the land. That is what was really being offered to them and all three men felt as if a special honor had been bestowed upon them; that honor being an invitation to have a taste of the mezcal also meant that they had been invited to experience a small piece of the immense beauty, richness, and the essence of all that was and is Oaxaca.
The three friends would continue to make trips to return to Mexico, specifically to Oaxaca. The trips to Oaxaca ended up being a big adventure where they learned about the local culture, the region, the people, and the precious elixir that it produces - mezcal. And maybe it was because David and Rick were also photographers, but the scenery of Oaxaca, with its own unique colors, textures, and elements of nature, was something else that they absorbed and appreciated too.
However, what the guys found to be the most beautiful part of Oaxaca was its people, who had been humble, kind, welcoming, and warm to the frequent visitors. Indeed, it was the people of Oaxaca that they encountered that was the most beautiful and memorable part of their experience.
Eventually, the three men were introduced to one person in particular, Senor Abel Martinez and as it just so happens, Senor Martinez was a master mezcal maker. Once again, they were invited and embraced by the people of Oaxaca, this time by Senor Martinez and his family. By this time, the three men had already felt inspiration to create their own mezcal, and Senor Martinez’s mezcal was the perfect one to work with. Again though, it wasn’t just the mezcal that they wanted to share with people, but it is the experience and the beauty of Oaxaca that they felt that needed to be shared with the world.
It’s taken a lot of time, work, energy, research, passion, drive - and, oh yeah, navigating a global pandemic - but the mezcal that they have been working on is here and ready to be experienced by you. You’re receiving the same invitation that David, Victor, and Rick received on that first trip to Mexico City, but again this is not just an opportunity to taste their delicious mezcal, it’s actually something even more special. According to David, one of the three founders, their mezcal, “...is a quality mezcal that was made the right way, based on tradition, knowledge, and culture, right from the heart of Santo Domingo Albarradas.” It’s an invitation to experience what it’s like to be enveloped by the same warmth, goodness, kindness, and beauty of Oaxaca and its people. An invitation to experience that timeless journey of people meeting as strangers, becoming friends, and then becoming family. It’s that sense of being a part of something new and belonging to something beautiful that you’re being invited to. The same sense of belonging, which the three men, who were once strangers, then visitors, and now friends with each other and with the families of Oaxaca, that they now want to share with you.
Because that’s part of the magic of Dos Gabachos - you’re no longer a stranger; you’re with friends now.
- By Clare Miranda @byclaremiranda