There is a correct way to taste mezcal, and mezcalero Gerardo Rodrigo traveled from Oaxaca to Seaside for the fourth year in a row to make sure attendees at the City of Seaside's Oaxaca By The Sea event on Sunday, Sept. 27 were trained in that correct way—even if it took more than one sample of mezcal.
Under Rodrigo's guidance, it is a full sensory experience. Step one is visual: Look at the clear liquid in the glass. Step two: smell it.
But there's a catch. The alcohol can obscure the underlying flavor (and aroma), so Rodrigo instructed visitors to dip a finger into their sample, then rub it on the back of their thumb, eliminating the alcohol.
Then smell it—and now, finally, you're ready to taste it.
That too is a patient, slow, multi-step process, Rodrigo instructs. On the first sip, he tells people to hold it in their mouths for a beat (he counts slowly to 3) before swallowing. Repeat for a second sip, then exhale deeply—and that flavor should approximate the aroma from a minute earlier, and that is the essence of the spirit. It is what Rodrigo calls "the real flavor of mezcal," which is to say, one of 16 different species of agave.
"Mezcal is like wine or scotch," Rodrigo says. "The smell is the flavor." (In the case of this espadín agave, that would be earthy and sweet.)
Repping the Mexican company Bishana, he mostly trains servers in how to describe mezcal, but his visits to Oaxaca by the Sea have been opportunities to connect directly with consumers. (He says this mezcal is not available for retail in the U.S.)
The Bishana crew is just one international presence at the Seaside's sixth annual Oaxaca by the Sea, where other officials and dignitaries converged for the parade to announce the celebration, followed by official remarks, then a guelaguetza celebration featuring many musical and dance performances. In attendance were regional commissioners J. Jesús Quevedo Cortés and Lic. Frida Yolanda Lyle García, sharing tourism information.
From the Mexican Consulate, Neftali Said Pérez González, the Cónsul General of México in San Jose and Octavia Hernández Farret, who oversees Cultural and Community Affairs at the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, attended.
Their lineup joined all five members of Seaside City Council, including Alexis García-Arrazola, who launched Seaside's event six years ago. He and other elected officials, including Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, gave welcome remarks in Spanish. Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby spoke in English and emphasized the message of the day: that the Oaxacan community is welcome in Seaside, "and all are welcome here."