José is in the Holiday Spirit

Can’t think of the perfect gift for your foodie and drinkie friends? How about a bottle of José’s Cuatro X Cuatro Mezcal.

Created in partnership with Koch El Mezcal, a well-respected distillery in Oaxaca, José’s chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman and General Manager Victor Rojas worked with Koch to create a bespoke spirit to serve at the restaurant and sell at Spec’s on Preston Road near Sherry Lane.

Victor, the bespectacled, affable front-of-house face of José invested time, sweat, and cheers to creating a product that’s smooth straight and very cocktail-friendly. Victor traveled to Oaxaca to work alongside the mezcaleros on every step of production, from hurling the agave piñas into the underground fire pit to mashing the pulp and adding flavors to create the combination that best fit José’s ethos. If you look closely on the label created by local artist Megan Reinhardt, you’ll see Victor’s face in among the other people and elements involved in the production of the mezcal depicted on the bottle.

After some trials, Rojas arrived at the perfect combination: seasonal apples, guava, white corn and chile chilhuacle. These four flavor elements combined with the four key elements of mezcal, agave, water, yeast, and the mezcalero who makes it led to Cuatro X Cuatro (four times four) mezcal.

In the hands of José’s beverage director, Carlos Marquez, Cuatro X Cuatro sings in cocktails including The José Way Manhattan which includes a premium banana liqueur and amaro.

This makes an ideal gift for the many fans of José’s who appreciate Chef AQ’s dedication to researching, preserving and serving traditional Mexican cuisine from Jalisco. As much as we love our Tex-Mex, José is different. Chef AQ and her team are artisans who cherish and respect Mexican culinary traditions and the creation of Cuatro X Cuatro is yet another example of this heritage.

José on Lovers is a warm, inviting place to celebrate the holidays. Closed December 24-25.

Photos are courtesy unless otherwise noted.