BevX 2024: Xiquita Restaurante y Bar Brings Ancestral Traditions to Life
Ethnic restaurants excel at offering specialties from around the globe, bringing authentic tastes from different regions closer to consumers’ homes. Xiquita Restaurante y Bar in Denver stands out for its exceptional rotating menu of traditional Mexico City beverages.
For one, Xiquita, a BevX 2024 winner for Innovative Independent, boasts a robust selection of agave spirits, including mezcals, raicillas, sotols, bacanoras and tequilas, curated by beverage director Henry Ottrix, along with some zero-proof aguas frescas.
Spicing up the classics
The restaurant’s unique cocktails, which range from a Tomatillo Margarita and La Kuii Daquiri to a Cochinero Martini and Chamoyrita, put a spin on authentic Mexican recipes while staying true to tradition. The program also offers a Mexican twist on traditional cocktails such as the Martini, Old Fashioned and Daquiri.
The Chamoyrita, with Casco Viejo blanco tequila, Bozal mezcal, Jalisco Estrella pilsner, chamoy, lemon and sugar.
For example, the Champurrado Old Fashioned, priced at $16, adds a little extra ethnic flare by mixing in corn liqueur and xoco bitters, while the Chamoyrita ($15) combines Casco Viejo blanco tequila, Bozal mezcal, Jalisco Estrella Mexican pilsner, chamoy, lemon and sugar.
To keep Xiquita’s drink menu as authentic as possible, Ottrix seeks advice from Mexican natives that work alongside him. “Chef Erasmo and Chef Rene’s expertise and guidance regarding flavors have been a constant inspiration,” he says. “Both having spent time or lived in Mexico at some point has helped us stay intentional in our approach to everything.”
From the wines and cocktails to the aqua fresca program, “we wanted to be sure to provide authentic takes on Mexico City flavors,” Ottrix adds. But with the tequila and mezcal market currently skyrocketing, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to get ahold of certain brands.
“Keeping an eclectic Mexican spirits program has been trickier than expected,” says Ottrix. “Rare mezcals, sotols, raicilla, tequila and bacanora have gained popularity, so inventory ebbs and flows. There have also been challenges with getting smaller spirits brands from Mexico into the United States, which has called for some creativity on our part.”
Mexican wines, seasonal flavors
Beyond cocktails, Xiquita’s bar program sheds light on Mexico’s historical wine-growing regions with an extensive list of high-end Mexican wines by the glass and bottle. Some selections include Rosadito Garnacha Rosé from Querataro, México, and Casa Jipi Sauvignon Blanc from Valle San Vincent, México.
Other wines offered include Victorine de Chastennay from France, Pais Salvaje from Chile and Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva from Spain. Prices range from $13 a glass, $52 a bottle for the JC Somers Chardonnay from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, to $20 a glass, $80 a bottle for Prior Lucas, a sparkling wine from Portugal.
Xiquita keeps its beverage program fresh by constantly introducing new cocktails and liquors and tapping into the seasons. “With the cooler weather, we typically lean into some of those richer, more complex flavors and pairings,” Ottrix says. “I really want to stay within those warm cultural flavors, but evolve and adapt them to a modern-day consumer.”
Whether that’s working around seasonal shortages or just trying to keep Xiquita’s product coming from local Mexican farmers, “it allows us to keep those flavors rolling all year.”
Ottrix also notes the importance of educating consumers around Mexican culture and everything that Xiquita puts into the program.
“If there’s one thing we will strive to engage in for the future, it’s not only being a space where you can eat and drink, but also a place to educate yourself on the uprising of Latin /Mexican food, drinks and culture,” he says.
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