Mezcal Spotlight: Coyote Fuego Mezcalería

By Jonathan Lockwood

"I ran 20 years in the wrong direction," Ricco Kabande told me, a smile spreading across his face. He's happy to be back in México.

Ricco is a partner and the chef behind Coyote Fuego Mezcalería, brand new in San Miguel de Allende, on Hernández Macias near Insurgentes. His career reads like a passport full of stamps: Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Bali. He even spent 11 years in Houston after the world-famous chef Paul Friedman convinced him to help open Peli Peli, a Houston landmark. Later came Chiludos, a taquería that he ran there. But now he's home.

Ricco holds a Bachelor of Science in Gastronomy and a Master's in Finance: a combination that explains both the excellence in the kitchen and why Coyote Fuego gives every evidence of becoming a success. He grew up in Jalisco in a family where love for food was simply a given. It wasn't something you talked about. It was just there, like breathing.

In his younger years, he thought success meant diving deep into complex molecular gastronomy—all the foams, spherifications and techniques that look impressive on a plate and confuse the hell out of your tongue. But he's come to realize that nothing beats the essential flavors of México. The ingredients speak for themselves when you know how to listen.

"I realize I can manage my kitchen with my nose," he said. That confidence shows in every dish I’ve tried.

Now, with all this talk of food, you might think I've forgotten this is a mezcalería. I haven't. But sincerely, the food is absolutely fantastic. On our first visit, my wife Cecilia and I tried all sorts of tacos: ribeye, pastor, campechano. Each one mouthwatering, and served with a lovely series of very different salsas–from calm to combustible. But just last weekend, my friend Fred and I each went for the New York Angus. Boom! Best steak I've had in a while. Perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned, the kind of thing that makes you stop talking mid-sentence and just appreciate it.

But let's talk mezcal—because that's why you're reading this, right?

Coyote Fuego features seven mezcal options, all made by maestro mezcalero César Clemente in San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca. That's one of my favorite regions for the spirit. The altitude, the mineral content in the soil, the tradition—it all comes through in the glass. So I approached these bottles with both hope and suspicion. Hope because the region produces beautiful mezcal. Suspicion because, well, I've been disappointed before by places that talk a good game but pour mediocre spirits.

There's not a dud in the bunch.

The artesanal options include an Espadín, Tobalá, Madrecuixe, and Coyote—all distilled in copper. Copper gives you clarity, brightness, a kind of precision in the flavors. Coyote Fuego also offers two ancestral clay distillations: an Arroqueño and a Mexicano. These ancestral mezcales provide a great depth of flavor, the kind of earthy, almost funky complexity that only comes from clay pot distillation. It's a completely different animal.

You're going to love the Espadín/Tobalá ensamble. Just fantastic. It balances the approachable sweetness of Espadín with the wild, floral notes of Tobalá. It's the kind of pour that just works. Beautiful!

Ricco has two other partners in Coyote Fuego, but his focus remains on hospitality and creativity. And it shows. The space feels welcoming without being precious. The staff knows their mezcal. And, by the way, if mezcal is why you go–and Ricco’s not around–ask for Alejandra Onsom. She graduated as a Sommelier here in México, and her knowledge of what to look for and just how to taste is truly impressive. And the kitchen? Well, the kitchen speaks for itself.

I came for the mezcal, stayed for the food, then remembered the mezcal again. It's that kind of place—where you don't have to choose between a great meal and a great pour. You get both, and you leave wondering why more places can't figure out this simple equation.

After 20 years running in what he now sees as the wrong direction, Ricco Kabande finally turned around and ran back to México. And San Miguel de Allende is absolutely better for it.

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