Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Goes great with Mexican food

Mezcal is not just a cheap version of tequila

Mezcal-rita at Don Chido
Mezcal-rita at Don Chido

I first met Mark Broadfoot back when we were Scouts in middle school, and ever since then I’ve known him to be fond of sharing. The first time it caught my attention was on a snowboarding trip to Utah, where, after the first bite of what I assumed would be an over-priced and under-loved slice of ski-lodge pizza, he slid his plate across the table and, beaming, said, “You’ve got to try this.” And he was right. It was excellent pie in the least-expected location.

Place

George's California Modern

1250 Prospect Street, San Diego

Place

Galaxy Taco

2259 Avenida de La Playa, San Diego

So it only seems natural that Mark’s penchant for introducing tasteful food and drink to others has taken him to California Modern-George’s at the Cove in La Jolla, where he works as “key personnel of captains” — a factotum of fine dining. As of late, the 30-year-old has been exploring new frontiers as beverage director at Galaxy Taco, a project of George’s executive chef and partner Trey Foshee. It was Foshee who introduced Mark to mezcal, an agave liquor traditionally produced in Oaxaca.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Most people, if they have even heard of mezcal, will think of it as a cheap version of tequila with a worm,” Mark relates from the couch of his North Park home. “If you know a little bit more, you know that it has a smokier flavor profile. Other than that, it can still be a mystery, even to well-educated spirit drinkers. Part of that, as I’ve been studying, is how different each and every bottle is. They very much are an expression of their respective areas, similar to the wine concept of ‘terroir.’ That’s why I fell in love with it. I had so much wine background coming in to studying mezcal that I immediately wanted to break it down like you do with wine: you know a region, you know the soil type and their mineral profile, you know the exact grapes being grown, and how those grapes will taste in different parts of the world. So I approach mezcal in the same way.”

One reason that mezcal remains so enigmatic to San Diegans, Mark says, is cost: “It’s one of the most expensive spirits on the market. An entry-level artisan mezcal is typically around the same price point as a high-end vodka.”

As an introduction, Mark may recommend a more affordable label such as Montelobos ($30 retail) or the mid-level Mezcal Vago ($55).

“Mezcal Vago is infused with corn, which allows it to pair well with food. In fact, we have a corn beer on tap at George’s and Galaxy brewed by Benchmark. It uses the same non-GMO white corn that we are making our masa and tortillas with at Galaxy Taco.”

Another way Mark makes mezcal more accessible is by toning down some of its more pronounced flavors by mixing, for example, in his San Diego Sour.

“I use egg whites and avocado to round out the harshness and astringent profile of the mezcal. You still get some of smoky elements in a way that plays with the profiles of a guacamole. So when you shake the egg white with the avocado it emulsifies and makes it into almost an avocado mousse. Adding mezcal with the lemon-lime makes it pretty much a Pisco Sour, substituting mezcal for pisco and chili bitters for Angostura. It’s very savory, and it goes great with Mexican food.”

Ever the ambassador, Mark pours us a glass of one of his favorite producers, Pierde Almas, while offering instructions on how best to enjoy the drink: “You don’t want to stick your nose in the glass like with wine. Just waft it over, take a sip, let it coat your mouth, take it down, and breathe out.”

The stuff is fantastic, and I remark about its smoky character.

“With mezcal, consistency is in character, not necessarily repeating the same flavors,” he replies. “A good mezcal consistently gives good character. If you’re willing to accept that, then you’re going to love mezcal.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mang Tomas, banana ketchup barred in San Diego

What will happen to Filipino Christmas here?
Mezcal-rita at Don Chido
Mezcal-rita at Don Chido

I first met Mark Broadfoot back when we were Scouts in middle school, and ever since then I’ve known him to be fond of sharing. The first time it caught my attention was on a snowboarding trip to Utah, where, after the first bite of what I assumed would be an over-priced and under-loved slice of ski-lodge pizza, he slid his plate across the table and, beaming, said, “You’ve got to try this.” And he was right. It was excellent pie in the least-expected location.

Place

George's California Modern

1250 Prospect Street, San Diego

Place

Galaxy Taco

2259 Avenida de La Playa, San Diego

So it only seems natural that Mark’s penchant for introducing tasteful food and drink to others has taken him to California Modern-George’s at the Cove in La Jolla, where he works as “key personnel of captains” — a factotum of fine dining. As of late, the 30-year-old has been exploring new frontiers as beverage director at Galaxy Taco, a project of George’s executive chef and partner Trey Foshee. It was Foshee who introduced Mark to mezcal, an agave liquor traditionally produced in Oaxaca.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Most people, if they have even heard of mezcal, will think of it as a cheap version of tequila with a worm,” Mark relates from the couch of his North Park home. “If you know a little bit more, you know that it has a smokier flavor profile. Other than that, it can still be a mystery, even to well-educated spirit drinkers. Part of that, as I’ve been studying, is how different each and every bottle is. They very much are an expression of their respective areas, similar to the wine concept of ‘terroir.’ That’s why I fell in love with it. I had so much wine background coming in to studying mezcal that I immediately wanted to break it down like you do with wine: you know a region, you know the soil type and their mineral profile, you know the exact grapes being grown, and how those grapes will taste in different parts of the world. So I approach mezcal in the same way.”

One reason that mezcal remains so enigmatic to San Diegans, Mark says, is cost: “It’s one of the most expensive spirits on the market. An entry-level artisan mezcal is typically around the same price point as a high-end vodka.”

As an introduction, Mark may recommend a more affordable label such as Montelobos ($30 retail) or the mid-level Mezcal Vago ($55).

“Mezcal Vago is infused with corn, which allows it to pair well with food. In fact, we have a corn beer on tap at George’s and Galaxy brewed by Benchmark. It uses the same non-GMO white corn that we are making our masa and tortillas with at Galaxy Taco.”

Another way Mark makes mezcal more accessible is by toning down some of its more pronounced flavors by mixing, for example, in his San Diego Sour.

“I use egg whites and avocado to round out the harshness and astringent profile of the mezcal. You still get some of smoky elements in a way that plays with the profiles of a guacamole. So when you shake the egg white with the avocado it emulsifies and makes it into almost an avocado mousse. Adding mezcal with the lemon-lime makes it pretty much a Pisco Sour, substituting mezcal for pisco and chili bitters for Angostura. It’s very savory, and it goes great with Mexican food.”

Ever the ambassador, Mark pours us a glass of one of his favorite producers, Pierde Almas, while offering instructions on how best to enjoy the drink: “You don’t want to stick your nose in the glass like with wine. Just waft it over, take a sip, let it coat your mouth, take it down, and breathe out.”

The stuff is fantastic, and I remark about its smoky character.

“With mezcal, consistency is in character, not necessarily repeating the same flavors,” he replies. “A good mezcal consistently gives good character. If you’re willing to accept that, then you’re going to love mezcal.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Bob Long played piano for Tina Turner and Ray Charles

And he got the crowd shaking at InZane Brewery
Next Article

San Diego Holiday Experiences

As soon as Halloween is over, it's Christmas time in my mind
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader