Josh Phillips and his team at Espita Mezcaleria, the Southern Mexican-inspired restaurant located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, invite guests to take part in one of Mexico’s great traditions, The Day of the Dead. On Tuesday, November 1st, Espita Mezcaleria will offer an honorary cocktail, Los Siete Misterios mezcal tasting and specialty dishes, available exclusively during dinner service. Face painting and custom temporary tattoos featuring designs from Espita artists will also be available for guests. Standout dishes available for this exclusive night of celebration include Morcilla Tlayuda, house-made Morcilla blood sausage, served on a crisp oversized tortilla with queso Oaxaca; Cochinita Cookies, pig-shaped cookies with piloncillo and cinnamon, as well as Mole Negro, lamb belly with hoja santa, piloncillo, Mexican oregano, chili ash with heirloom corn tortillas. The Day of the Dead menu items will range in price from $5 to $25 each.
For the perfect pairing, guests will have the opportunity to sample several varieties of Los Siete Misterios mezcal, along with an innovative cocktail called Flor de Muerto, or Death’s Flower. Priced at $13, the libation is made from a combination of mezcal, Cruzan Black Strap Rum, pineapple ash, lime juice and coconut syrup, garnished with an edible flower. “I wanted to find a way to combine life and death into one drink,” says Beverage Director/Partner Megan Barnes. “The edible flower represents life and the pineapple ash makes the drink completely black, representing death. This concoction is fairly balanced, leaning on the sweeter side as Day of the Dead is meant to be a day of celebration paying tribute to loved ones who have passed on.”
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1st, exclusively during dinner service, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WHERE: Espita Mezcaleria is located at 1250 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The restaurant is located two blocks from the Mt Vernon Square, 7th St-Convention Center Metro Station accessible on the Green and Yellow Lines. For reservations or additional information, please visit http://espitadc.com.
WHY: Of pre-Hispanic and pre-Christian origin, the Day of The Dead is one of the most important holidays in Mexican culture. In rural Mexico, people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried, bringing marigold flowers and candles to decorate gravesites. Toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults are also incorporated. Families sit on picnic blankets next to gravesites and eat the favorite food of their loved ones. Some families build altars in their homes, dedicating them to the dead. Altars are set up October 31st through November 2nd and are covered with offerings to the dead including flowers, fruits, vegetables, candles, incense, statues of saints, and photos of the deceased.
