Mezcal Spotlight: Casa Murciélago

By Jonathan Lockwood

In a bustling part of San Miguel de Allende’s centro, not many steps from the jardín, is Casa Murciélago Mezcalería, on the first floor of the DÔce 18 Concept House on Relox. I recently realized I’ve frequented this spot more than any other local mezcal establishment. Why?

It could be the proximity; it’s close to other places I go. It could also be that the Casa opens early at 1:00 p.m. But there’s a fair chance it’s because of the guy who founded it, his mezcal background, and what he’s tried to do with the place.

Mitch Hernández, 46, is a native Oaxacan whose father let him sip mezcal when he was only six. “At that time, it wasn’t considered a bad thing,” he says with a grin and a shrug.

At 17 he worked the now-famous Feria del Mezcal in only its second year. Later, when he left to study in CDMX, he brought his passion for mezcal to a city that, at the time, knew very little about it. He and a friend began hosting tastings in one half of a church bell tower room. Imagine sipping a bold Jabalí as the bells start clanging! “In those days, nobody in México City really knew how to drink it,” Mitch says. But once they did, a fire was lit. If they liked something, he’d travel back to Oaxaca to retrieve bottles for them.

Eventually he established the Piquete Ziña brand, opened his first bar La Sinforosa, and began hosting tastings at Escollo, a restaurant owned by his friend Vaquero. But COVID shut both places down in short order. However, Vaquero soon began managing Júpiter Cervecería in Coyoacán, CDMX, and invited Mitch to carve out a corner of it for his first Casa Murciélago in 2021. Vaquero and Mitch’s longtime friend Vladimir are now partners in the venture.

Things went so well that the trio opened their second location in San Miguel de Allende in April of 2023. I now see—after a quick search of my Facebook account—that’s the same month I first visited. And I’ve never stopped.

Mitch doesn’t like to bag on the industrialization of mezcal. (He can leave that to us!) But what’s obvious on your first visit to Casa Murciélago is his regard for small-batch producers from all over México. He doesn’t just feature any mezcal—he chooses those made by the truly talented, those respected and who approach their craft with respect.

These days, Flavio Rangel is behind the bar. Likable and an excellent communicator in both Spanish and English, he enjoys introducing guests to their next favorite Mezcal, Sotol, Bacanora, or other Mexican spirit. While the standard pairing is orange slices and sal de gusano, some find that overshadows the drink. So Flavio offers a board of fresh tomatillos for a clean, tart palate cleanse.

Because I’m a seasoned mezcal maniac, I often spot something special right away: a Bicuixe by Catorce Fuerzas with forest floor tones from Miahuatlán, a robust Madrecuixe by Murzok from Oaxaca’s central valley, an eye-widening Sotol pechuga by Dos Potrillos of Chihuahua. Even a wonderfully complex Salmiana from the Mongolian clay pot stills of Campanilla in San Luis Potosí. But then come distillations I’d never heard of—just as good.

Casa Murciélago is definitely a tasting room experience. There are maybe 12 or 13 stools around the bar. My wife and I have noticed the patrons are almost always from out of town. Last week we met a young woman from L.A. who now lives in Guadalajara. While many visitors are from the U.S., they tend to be Mexican-Americans more than gringos. Several are in town for weddings. Away from home and on vacation, they bring the prospect of adventure—and often leave with a bottle. So if you hadn’t heard of this place, now you have. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the interesting folks sitting next to you.

I can’t promise you’ll fall in love with mezcal the way I did. But if you find yourself at Casa Murciélago, don’t be surprised if Flavio hands you something you can’t stop sipping, if the tomatillo trick wins you over, or if you walk out with a bottle (or two) you didn’t mean to buy.

It happens.

Ask me how I know.

Jonathan Lockwood is a Mezcal lover, explorer, and collector and writes the Mezcal Maniac Substack: mezcalmaniac.substack.com