What to See in Oaxaca, Not Just Mezcal!, Oaxaca, Mexico

What to see in Oaxaca is a question, in my opinion, ill-posed. The state of Oaxaca in Mexico is, in fact, a place to experience. Both the capital, Oaxaca de Juarez, and the rest of the state are a veritable paradise for lovers of good food and…excellent drink!

The list of what to see in Oaxaca begins, then, with places to drink in Oaxaca de Juarez. First of all, there is no shortage of craft breweries in the capital: I tried Santisima Flor de Lupulo, Casa Cervecera Terra Blanca, Oaxaco Cerveceria, and Oaxaca Brewing. All excellent, with several excellent IPAs!

Oaxaca, however, is most famous for its distilleries. I recommend four in particular. Mezcaleria in Situ and Mezcaleria Los Amantes are great for trying pure mezcal, Sabina Sabe is excellent for cocktails (the negroni with mezcal is heavenly), and Casa del Mezcal has a very lively atmosphere.

After the drinking, it’s on to the eating. Oaxaca boasts one of the best Mexican cuisines in the confederation. In the capital city of Oaxaca de Juarez you can find upscale restaurants (some awarded Michelin stars). I tried one, Zandunga, but it is not the style of restaurant I like. I preferred, and by quite a bit, La Popular (where I was able to try tlayudas, a kind of piadina made with meat and frijoles, and a meat dish with mole negro, i.e., a sauce made with different chilies), the mercado XX de Noviembre (where the pasillo de humo is located, the right place to eat grilled meat), and the mercado Benito Juarez (famous for chapulines, grasshoppers boiled in water, which are part of Oaxaca tradition). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).