Food & Drink

At a wedding in Zacatecas, Asado de boda almost always makes it to the table. The pork is cut into strips and briefly seared, then simmered in a deep red sauce of roasted ancho chilies. It's served with raw onion rings and simple rice. The name gives away the occasion, since the dish rarely appears without a wedding.

Birria zacatecana holds just as firm a place. It's usually made from lamb or goat, seasoned with ancho, cascabel, and morita chilies, along with cloves, thyme, oregano, pepper, and cinnamon. A bit of corn masa thickens the broth at the end. Birria shows up on the same occasions as the asado: baptisms, first communions, and weddings, rarely everyday meals.

This cuisine and mezcal grew closely together in Zacatecas. The state built its wealth chiefly on silver mines, above all those around the capital city of the same name. What miners once drank after grueling shifts later became a fixture at family celebrations. That's how mezcal made its way from the mine to the wedding table.

With Asado de boda or Birria, a young, unadulterated mezcal from the region pairs better than any barrel-aged spirit. Its citrus notes and gentle earthiness stand up to the heat of the chilies without overpowering them. It's tasted the way it has been here for generations: in small sips, alongside food, never as an invitation to get drunk.