SMALL BITES: Mezcal festival returns to South Florida for 3 days

This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you just don’t have room for a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy!

WHAT:

Mezcal Lauderdale wil be flowing into SoFlo for the third year.

There will be a bartender cocktail battle, food pairings, brunch, workshops, panels and more than 40 brands of the distilled alcohol drink made from agave represented throughout the event. The liquor lineup will also include a Grand Tasting showcasing more than 100 mezcals and two tasting dinners helmed by Mexican chefs.

Make sure you check out the mixology class with an ambassador from Madre Mezcal, a performance by Mariachi Voces De América and music from DJ Bonnie Beats.

WHEN/WHERE:

Mezcal Lauderdale will take place Saturday, June 22, through Monday, June 24. Events will be staged at two Fort Lauderdale locations:

• Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, 115 NW Sixth St.; 954-329-2551; sistrunkmarketplace.com
• The House on the River, 301 SW Third Ave.; 954-825-2929; thehouseontheriver.com

THE SCHEDULE & TICKET PRICES

Saturday

• 1-5 p.m. — Grand Tasting; tickets are $55 for general admission (entry at 2 p.m.), $90 for VIP (entry at 1 p.m., plus other perks including T-shirt, souvenir cup) and $40 for Culinary Passport (mezcal food pairings)
•  2:30-3:30 p.m. — Mixology Class; $40
• 6-8 p.m. — Chef Tania Cuevas Tasting Dinner; $175
• 8:30-10:30 p.m. — Chef Christian Moreno Tasting Dinner; $175

Sunday

• 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — Mezcal Brunch; tickets are $75 for two people (includes bottomless Xicala Mezcal cocktail)

Monday

• noon-5:15 p.m. — Mezcal Summit; $40
• 6-9 p.m. — Ultimate Mezcal Drink Master (bartender contest); $17.07

THE TASTING DINNERS & CHEFS

Both Tasting Dinners will be at The House on the River.

Chef Tania Cuevas is originally from Mexico City but has made a name for herself in the French culinary scene, working with Ritz Paris Hotel and Fouquet’s Champs Elysées after graduating from Paris’ famed Le Cordon Bleu.

Oaxaca-born chef Christian Moreno opened Maíz y Agave Cocina Mexicana on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables in late April and has more than 15 years of experience in various fields of gastronomy, experiencing different styles of cuisine.

INFORMATION:

For more details and to order tickets, visit mezcallauderdale.com. You can also check out: Instagram.com/mezcallauderdale, Facebook.com/MezcalLauderdale and linktr.ee/mezcallauderdale.