While mezcal and tequila have been at the forefront of cocktails over the years, another historic Mexican spirit has quietly been earning its seat at the bar.
Chihuahua-crafted Casa Lotos took over West Village cocktail spot Dear Strangers on West 4th Street to officially kick off Sotol Week and launch El Camino Norteño, a nationwide cocktail trail spanning five major US cities.
Sotol is unique and unlike both tequila and mezcal where instead of being distilled from agave, it comes from the dasylirion plant. And in terms of flavor, sotol delivers an earthy, herbaceous, and grassy profile that is incredibly delicious. And to showcase the flavors of the sotol, the evening revolved around the brand’s Los Norteños cocktail collection. This collection showcased drinks built on regional Mexican flavors ranging from prickly pear and crisp watermelon to green apple and savory pickle brine.
Photo courtesy of Casa Lotos
The drinks offered a familiar and accessible entry point for newcomers while giving seasoned spirits fans plenty of nuance to pick apart. One pour leaned into cooling, fruit-forward refreshment, using sweet fruit to balance the spirit’s natural desert minerality. Another took a savory and briny route, combining pickle notes that highlighted the bright, peppery vegetal undertones of the spirit.
The centerpiece of the launch, however, was the passport program. Guests at the kickoff received an El Camino Norteño passport, designed to guide drinkers through participating New York bars across the week. Each stop along the trail featured a dedicated, one-off Casa Lotos cocktail for $10, encouraging people to collect stamps while seeing how different bar teams across the city interpret the spirit.
Photo courtesy of Casa Lotos
Rather than just serving as another standard spirits tasting, the night functioned as a well-timed deep dive into an often-misunderstood category. Between the inventive drinks, the engaging crowd tucked into Dear Strangers, and the interactive trail running across town, Casa Lotos made a convincing argument that sotol is ready for its own turn in the spotlight.
