Taste ‘The Next Tequila’ at Sugar Maple
One-night event at Bay View bar will feature sotol, an up-and-coming Mexican spirit.
Sugar Maple. Photo by Nastassia Putz.
A little-known spirit will star at Sugar Maple‘s upcoming event, Los Magos en el Lago. The bar, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., will partner with Los Magos Sotol on Jan. 25 for an exclusive cocktail menu featuring sotol, an alcoholic drink derived from dasylirion.
The one-day pop-up, scheduled for 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., will also include games and raffles, Mexican food from Chef Gabriel Garcia and a musical performance courtesy of De La Buena.
Throughout the event, representatives from Los Magos will be available to share knowledge and discuss sotol. The spirit has been a staple of North Mexican culture for nearly 800 years, but has recently gained the attention of mixologists worldwide.
Sometimes called “the next tequila,” sotol’s flavor includes complex notes of citrus, black pepper, light smoke, honey and eucalyptus, all leading to an herbaceous finish, according to a news release. Although similar in flavor to some mezcals, sotol is not made from agave. Rather, it comes from dasylirion, a desert shrub that grows wild in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The spirit is protected by a designation of origin — like Parmigiano Reggiano and Champagne — meaning it can only labeled and marketed as sotol if produced in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila or Durango.
Los Magos has played a key role in introducing sotol to the wider world, following its 2021 entry into the U.S. market. Chihuahua-natives Juan Pablo Carvajal and Eduardo Almanza launched the company in 2014 “with a mission to create the best sotol in the world,” according to a news release. Since then, the brand has amassed numerous awards and become a leading spirit in its category.
In addition to exploring the rich history and intriguing flavor of sotol, Los Magos en el Lago attendees can expect to snack on steak tacos, street corn and more from Ta’Con Madre, a pop-up taqueria created by Garcia. The chef, who previously worked at Salotto Zarletti (now Zarletti Mequon), Dream Dance Steakhouse, Merriment Social and Electric Lime Taqueria, is soon to open his own restaurant, Breakin’ Bread MKE.
The event will also feature on-theme beers and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Tickets for Los Magos en el Lago are required and can be purchased online. General admission ($5) allows for entry at 7 p.m., while VIP tickets ($25) include 6 p.m. entry, a sotol tasting and introductory session, a welcome beer, a raffle ticket and preferred seating for De La Buena’s performance.
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