Next week is Saint Patrick’s Day and for those of us here in the US that means an overwhelming display of green, Leprechauns, pinches, beer and terrible awful Irish accents. Totally lost in all of this, who Saint Patrick actually was and what he did. This of course got us thinking about San Patricio and how that Irish connection came about. Needless to say, this led contributor Holly Devon down a rabbit hole of the Irish diaspora story that eventually found its way to Mexico.

Fleeing religious persecution under British Protestant rule, waves of Irish emigrants — known as the "Wild Geese" — scattered across Catholic Europe and eventually the Americas, where they helped reshape colonial Mexico. Irish-born military officers helped reorganized Spain's colonial army, an Irish prime minister drove sweeping imperial reforms, and Juan O'Donojú (O’Donohue) signed the very treaty that granted Mexico its independence in 1821. But the most celebrated chapter came during the US-Mexico War, when a band of Irish-American soldiers — disgusted by anti-Catholic bigotry in the US ranks and moved by solidarity with a Catholic nation under siege — defected to fight for Mexico as the San Patricio Battalion. It’s a fascinating and surprising history that got me thinking about my own family’s journey to America and how one Coss ended up in the British colony and others in the Spanish colony.

We here in the US have tendency to look at Mexico as a homogenous culture, but that is so far from the truth. It has been at the crossroads of migratory patterns for thousands of years, with this story of the Irish woven into the tapestry of Mexican history. The migratory history is one reason Mexico has one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, though I don’t know off the cuff an Irish influence in a dish in the world. But I can say, the arabic or Lebanese influence in Mexico is well documented and why we are so excited to be collaborating with Vera Cocina in Washington DC for a talk with Amarás CEO and Co-founder Luis Niño de Rivera. Vera Cocina proudly celebrates its Mexican and Lebanese roots in dishes like hummus con esquites, mole kefta and schwarma tostadas, to name just a few! Join us there on Tuesday, March 24th at 6pm.

Finally, be sure to also check out Tess’s latest pairing, a bitter chocolate and sotol drink that pulls out the savory flavors of cacao to create the perfect cold night chaser. Talk about a cross culture mash up!

Saludos,

Susan & the Mezcalistas team

MEZCAL EVENTS

• March 14th and 15th, Encuentro Nacional Maestros del Mezcal, Mexico City

• March 22nd, Industry Discussion on Building Community, Washington DC

• March 22nd, Mezcal with Friends Dinner, Pascual DC

• March 23rd, Mexico in a Bottle, Washington, DC 

• March 24th, Agave + Water, Vera Cocina DC 6pm

• March 26th, Bowl of ‘Zole, Denver

• March 29th, Mujeres del Mezcal, NYC

• April 11th, Mexico in a Bottle, Tucson

• April 26th, Mexico in a Bottle, Chicago

• Save the dates: Mexico in a Bottle October 4th, San Diego/November 8th, San Francisco

SPOTLIGHT: AGAVE HERITAGE FESTIVAL