Magical Maestro Restaurant Hosts Mezcal Missionary Ulises Torrentora

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Ulises Torrentera’s mission to put a spotlight onto authentic, artisan mezcal has transformed the reputation of this spirit formerly regarded as a peasant drink. His visits to the United States from his native Oaxaca are now a big event.

The first stop this year was appropriately at Maestro Mexican Restaurant in Pasadena, known for their authentic, artisan crafted foods and cocktails. Torrentera is always pleased to share his knowledge of the current finds – wild or farmed agave. It was on an especially beautiful summer evening for an intimate group of 30 aficionados seated under the stars to listen, taste and learn.  For me, the unique mezcal is the grappa of Mexico with a certain almost cult following.

Although Mezcal has only recently become an infamously popular drink, Torrentera had already documented the first of his findings in the book   Mezcalaria, in 2002.  Other emblematic books about Mezcal followed.  Farolito Mezcal is the exported brand from his famous In Situ Mezcaleria in Oaxaca City. Ulises has spent the last two decades touring palenques of the different regions of Oaxaca and beyond to produce the highest quality, most authentic mezcal.   His intensive searches include both farmed and wild agave.  All of the mezcal in the mezcaleria, as well as the mezcal bottled under the Farolito brand, are curated by mezcal missionary Torrentera.  They are now available in straight shots, cocktails at the restaurant and at a few stores.

A translator and members of the audience, helped him get the words exactly right.  His primary message was that of keeping the pristine quality of mezcal ingredients, the artisan process, the quality and variety intact.

Farolito Horno is made with an agave Americana by Alberto Montes in Nochixtlan, Oaxaca. Once cooked and crushed, the agave is fermented in wooden tubs and distilled in clay pot stills. The first batch imported into the US in 2019 was 806 bottles.

For this Farolito Mezcal tasting, Maestro’s Executive Chef Elena Vega expertly paired three courses.  The first plate was a hiramasa sashimi aguachile. The second course: rolled pork belly with grilled pineapple, gooseberries and chicharron. The final course was a mole confit (chicken or veggie) served with a savory house mole sauce, sesame seeds, crema and a side of fingerling potatoes.

Seats run $70 per person and include the food and mezcal pairing. For reservations and for information on other events, please email maestropasadena@gmail.com

Maestro Pasadena, 110 E. UNION ST., PASADENA 91733,

Torrentera’s contributions have changed the landscape for mezcal by focusing a spotlight on this Mexican “peasant” spirit. Today Mezcal is considered “stylish”.  “Yes, Mezcal is in fashion today,” laments Torrentera. “And there are people who drink it because it’s in style, and people who drink it to get to know the drink, and that should be the reason why it’s popular, not because it’s cool.”

Spreading the word about traditional mezcal helps Oaxaca, Torrentera adds, which is why he’s now bottling his own mezcal under the brand name Farolito. Exporting to the U.S. was never a goal for Torrentera, but as major brands such as Casamigos enter the marketplace with mass-market bottlings, he wants to give consumers another choice.