I had no idea what mezcal was until about 2 years ago when a friend who was visiting family in Mexico told me he was lounging by the beach in Acapulco, sipping on some mezcal. Was that a cocktail?

Nope. Tequila is a mezcal though. Mezcal is made from the center, or the heart, of the agave plant, which is then cooked in oven pits, sometimes underground ones, which can give mezcal its smoky taste. Whisler’s is a bar in Austin’s east side and if you take the stairs up, you’ll find yourself at Mezcalería Tobalá with bartenders who will explain to you how to drink your mezcal out of copitas. They might also suggest pairing your mezcal with orange wedges that have sal de gusano (worm salt) sprinkled over them. It might also go well with some cricket salt sprinkled over the orange wedges as well.

The flavor of the mezcal was smoky, like a barbecue in your mouth! Personally, I was a fan. I also really enjoyed the dimly lit bar and the candles that illuminated the room. It was a small area, but a seat was easy to find on this particular day. Mezcal is certainly not for everyone. I have taken a few friends there after I first tried it and it’s safe to say they thought it was a bit strong on the smoky flavor. But don’t knock it until you try it.