What was born in Coachella about a decade ago is making it’s way here with some fresh takes on Mexican food and drinks.
Mixteca, a new neighborhood agave bar and restaurant at 2113 E. York St. in Philadelphia, expands the concept in both scale and scope.
Mixteca was conceived as a bar first, with the cocktail program shaping the pace, energy and overall experience. In Philadelphia, the larger footprint allows for an expanded food program, outdoor seating and more room for Mixteca to function as a neighborhood gathering place.
“Philadelphia is a great drinking city, and Victor (Lopez) and I have been impressed by its bar scene since we first spent time here together more than a decade ago,” said award-winning hospitality veteran Jeff Bell. “This space already meant something to the community, and we’re excited, and honestly a little nervous, to become its next act. The welcome we’ve received so far has been incredible, and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to join the party.”
The name refers to the La Mixteca region and its people across Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla, where Lopez is originally from, while also playing on the craft of mixology.
The restaurant grew out of the annual pop-ups Bell and Lopez began producing at Coachella nearly a decade ago, where the desert setting inspired them to focus on agave spirits and imagine a more open-air, relaxed bar experience.
Bell and Lopez first worked together behind the bar at PDT, where they spent more than a decade as part of a team that earned the inaugural James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2012, along with nearly every other major honor in the cocktail industry.
Mixteca Philadelphia celebrates traditional Mexican spirits through modern cocktails, paired with a menu of contemporary Mexican cooking built around the best possible ingredients. Limes are squeezed fresh for every cocktail, corn tortillas are handmade to order, and sauces and salsas are prepared in-house.
At Mixteca, La Bandera is a three-part tequila ritual inspired by the colors of the Mexican flag. (COURTESY OF APRES CRU HOSPITALITY)
Cocktails, though, remain central to the Mixteca experience, with tequila, mezcal, bacanora and raicilla showcased throughout the menu.
A dedicated page of margaritas begins with a classic combination of blanco tequila, lime and Cointreau, which serves as the foundation for eight variations made with housemade consommés: strawberry, coconut, blackberry, watermelon, yuzu, guava, passionfruit, and pineapple, the latter made with blue spirulina for a vibrant hue.
The menu will also feature the popular Spicy Margarita, made with cucumber, pineapple, wasabi, and a touch of hot honey. The remainder of the cocktail list presents familiar classics alongside corresponding agave-based interpretations, allowing guests to explore the connection between the two drinks.
The beverage program also includes La Bandera, a three-part tequila ritual inspired by the colors of the Mexican flag, along with Micheladas, seasonal specials, additional classic and agave cocktails, beer, wine and an extensive zero-proof selection.
Philadelphia-exclusive cocktails draw on local drinking traditions, including original interpretations of the Clover Club and Fish House Punch.
For more information, check out https://cocteleriamixteca.com/philly.