Different expressions, good food, and a more interesting way to discover one of Mexico’s most complex spirits
Some nights start with cocktails.
Others with wine.
And some should probably start with a small pour of mezcal.
Not as a shot.
Not with salt and lime.
And definitely not with the goal of hitting ten bars before midnight.
A mezcal night in Playa del Carmen becomes much more interesting when you slow it down: taste different agaves, notice how one expression changes from another, pair them with Mexican food, and let someone behind the bar explain what’s actually in your glass.
The point isn’t to drink more.
It’s to taste better.
Start at La Perla Pixán & La Carbonería
When you want to understand mezcal before simply ordering one
If you're dedicating a night to mezcal, La Perla Pixán & La Carbonería is one of the most natural places to begin.
Located on Calle 38, the restaurant currently describes itself as a Mexican restaurant, mezcalería, and pulquería, with a broad selection of artisanal mezcals alongside Mexican cuisine and live music.
Instead of simply asking for “a mezcal,” ask what's available.
Espadín can be an approachable starting point.
Then try a different agave.
More floral.
More herbal.
More mineral.
More intense.
Part of understanding mezcal is realizing that they don't all simply taste “smoky.”
What to do here: start with a small tasting or ask for two contrasting expressions.
Eat With It
Mezcal makes more sense at a table than while rushing between bars
This isn't a bar crawl.
Order food.
La Perla currently even runs experiences that pair mezcal with tacos and tastings; in August 2026 it was promoting a Thursday Mezcal & Tacos night with selected mezcals, tasting options, and live music.
The pairing makes sense.
Corn.
Chile.
Slow-cooked meats.
Salsas.
Toasted ingredients.
They can all make different characteristics in the spirit become more noticeable.
Taste the mezcal.
Eat.
Taste it again.
It may feel different.
That's the point.
Not Every Mezcal Needs to Become a Cocktail
Taste the spirit first Then see what a bartender can do with it
A good bar can make an excellent mezcal cocktail.
But if you're actually trying to understand the spirit, begin neat.
Small sips.
No rush.
Then order a cocktail and see what happens when mezcal meets citrus, fruit, chile, or bitters.
There's an important difference.
A cocktail shows you what a bartender can do with mezcal.
A neat pour shows you the mezcal itself.
A good night can include both.
Make the Second Stop Completely Different
From a Mexican mezcalería to a drink underground
If you want the night to have two chapters, change the setting entirely.
Alux Restaurante is currently operating inside a cave in Playa del Carmen and offers a three-mezcal Montelobos tasting alongside tequila- and mezcal-based cocktails.
You don't need to repeat the same experience from your first stop.
If you've already tasted artisanal expressions neat, use this stop for a more structured tasting or finish with a cocktail.
The atmosphere changes completely too.
First stop: Calle 38, Mexican food, mezcalería.
Second stop: an underground cave.
Now it feels like a night, not a list.
Learn to Ask What You're Drinking
“A mezcal” can be almost as vague as saying “a wine”
Ask at least three questions:
What agave is it made from?
Where is it from?
How was it produced?
You don't need to become an expert.
Those answers are simply a way to understand why two pours can taste completely different.
Mezcal can be produced from different agave varieties, and its flavor changes with the raw material, region, and production method.
So if you're trying two, make them meaningfully different.
Comparison is much more interesting than repetition.
And Yes Have a Cocktail Afterward
Once you understand the spirit a little, let the bar play with it
After tasting mezcal neat, a cocktail becomes more interesting.
Look for something that still allows the spirit to show through.
A mezcalita can work.
So can a mezcal-driven twist on a Negroni or Old Fashioned.
Other Playa bars currently list drinks such as mezcalitas and Mezcaloni, showing
how firmly the spirit has entered the local cocktail scene.
The rule is simple:
Don't bury the mezcal under sugar and juice.
If the entire night is about discovering it, you should still know it's there.
You Don't Need Five Stops
Two places and three good pours can make a much better night
This is what separates the plan from a typical crawl.
Don't try to do:
Mezcalería.
Another bar.
Another cocktail.
Another tasting.
Another shot.
You're not collecting venues.
A much better night might look like:
A tasting at La Perla → dinner → another expression → Alux for one final tasting or cocktail.
Two places.
Two very different settings.
Enough time to eat.
And you'll still remember what you tasted the next morning.
Much better.
Drink Water Between Pours
Yes this is part of the experience too
Mezcal is a high-proof spirit.
So:
Water.
Food.
Time.
There's no reason to finish each pour quickly.
And if you're tasting different expressions, slowing down actually makes it easier to notice the differences.
A night built around a spirit should feel like exploration.
Not a competition.
Don't Mistake “Smoky” for the Entire Category
Mezcal can be much broader than you expect
One of the most common clichés is describing every mezcal as smoky.
Some absolutely have noticeable smoke.
Others can lean vegetal, citrusy, mineral, earthy, or floral.
A huge number of variables shape the final profile.
So if you tried one mezcal once and didn't like it, that doesn't necessarily mean you “don't like mezcal.”
You may simply not have liked that one.
Turn the Night Into a Conversation
The best recommendation probably isn't printed on the menu
If the bar isn't too busy, talk to the person serving you.
Tell them what you like.
Something softer.
Drier.
Herbal.
Complex.
Completely different from tequila.
Someone who knows the selection can often guide you toward a bottle you'd never have chosen by reading names alone.
That's part of what makes a mezcal night more interesting than simply ordering one.
A Mezcal Night Should Leave You Curious Not With a Checklist
Playa del Carmen has an incredibly international food scene.
But dedicating one night to a Mexican spirit can be a much more interesting way to connect with the destination.
Start with one pour.
Ask what you're drinking.
Taste it with food.
Try another agave.
Then have a cocktail.
And when you've had enough, stop.
You don't need to decide which was “the best mezcal.”
You only need to realize that the next one probably won't taste the same.
Follow our blog for more restaurants, bars, food routes, and experiences around Playa del Carmen, and follow us on social media to keep exploring the city one glass and one table at a time.
