LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2025

MEXICO

Oaxaca City Not so long ago, Oaxaca City was a sleepy town frequented almost exclusively by artists and foodies who cherished its beautiful textiles, delicious mole dishes and a certain esoteric agave spirit called mezcal. The secret’s out now, but the rustic charm is still alive and well and, as a bonus, there are now even more great restaurants and agave bars than before.

DRINK LIKE A LOCAL Drop by In Situ

Mezcalería and ask for a flight—served

straight-up with a plate of sal de gusano (worm salt) and orange wedges on the side—and learn about the dizzying range of wild agave varieties used to make mezcal.

A TASTE OF OAXACA Los Siete

Misterios Mezcal LCBO 439497, $84.95 This bartender fave is perfect for straight sipping or mixing into cocktails,

thanks to a great bal ance of orange, herbs and light smoke.

Mezcal Agua Santa LCBO 14660, $67.40

Named after a river near Agua Santa’s agave fields, this spirit uses authentic traditional production methods, for plenty of smoke, tropical fruit and citrus. Amarás Espadín Verde Mezcal LCBO 666693, 700 mL, $64.95 Designed with cocktails in mind, this mezcal has a unique floral aroma and a minty flavour that balances out the intense smoky character.

MARKETING No trip to Oaxaca would be complete without a tour of the Benito Juárez Market . Independent travellers may choose to go it alone, but serious eaters should opt to hire a local expert who can go deep into the Indigenous culinary tradi tions, including regional chocolate, next-level tamales and crunchy chapulines (toasted and seasoned grasshoppers).

TO DO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GONZALO AZUMENDI/STONE VIA GETTY IMAGES (OAXACA)

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———————— TRAVEL 2025