The Mix with Robert Simonson

Welcome to the latest edition of “On a Toot!,” a feature in which I try to remember some of the liquid highlights of recent weeks, and other highlights in general. “On a Toot!”—which made its debut on March 10, 2023 (accept no imitations!)—will only run on Fridays and will only be available to paid subscribers. We hope you enjoy it.

Agua Magica mezcalaro Don Rogelio Juan Hernandez, owner Rafa Shin and sommelier Aldo Sohm in an agave field in Oaxaca. For drinks professionals coming up in their trade during the early years of the cocktail and spirits renaissance, in the aughts and 2010s, there was a lot we did not know and had to learn. But there were certain pieces of conventional wisdom that were cherished as scripture.

The house dog at Gene & Jude’s. With July 4th right around the corner—and the nation’s 250th go-round with that anniversary to boot!—everyone’s got America’s favorite and most historical sandwich, the hot dog, on their mind. The Mix with Robert Simonson is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. We don’t skimp on hot dog coverage in this space.

Sometimes bottles don’t get to you until it’s past your deadline. Sometimes there are so many bottles that you can’t possibly taste them all and you blow past your deadline. And sometimes both of those things happen at once! That was the situation here at The Mix last week, during Mezcal and Tequila Week. And that’s why you are getting this coda to that week of agave coverage.

First of all, we’re sorry to be a day late in saying goodbye to this Mezcal and Tequila Week. Yesterday was Father’s Day and it was the first Father’s Day that Robert had been apart from his son Asher, and, more recently, my son Richard too. So, we called an audible and I made Robert breakfast in bed. Then we went to the gym and antiquing. I bought Robert a Wild Turkey 1976 bi-centennial decanter; a Shakey’s Pizza 24-ounce beer schooner; and a 1950 bongo album by Les Baxter called Skins.

Canned and bottled cocktails–known in the industry at RTDs (Ready-To-Drink)—have been rampant since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. In fact, RTDs are presently one of the few growth categories in the booze industry. And among those RTDs are some cocktails made with agave spirits, as the producers can’t very well ignore the public’s thirst for Tequila and Mezcal. The Mix with Robert Simonson is a reader-supported publication.

The interior of Despacho Margarita. From the moment I began to tell people that I was taking my first trip to Oaxaca, I heard: “Drink a lot of Margaritas!” Or, “Be sure to post pictures of all the Margaritas!” In the end, I didn’t drink a lot of Margaritas, or post pictures of them. Because there weren’t any. Now, I am aware that Margaritas are not as popular in Mexico as they are in the United States. But I expected to encounter some, nonetheless.

At The Mix, we love cocktails. Yes, we love sipping spirits, but mostly we love the complexity and magic of mixing a few ingredients and coming up with something new that is at once delicious, satisfying and refreshing. It’s even in our name: The Mix. And there’s nothing better than taking a moment to relax, reflect and savor the whole experience.

Misty with her friend Joaquin at an Anniversary Party in Mexico. As I sat in a seminar this past February during Tales on Tour in Chicago, I noticed a figure whizzing by picking up glasses from the attendees’ tables. “That’s Misty Kalkofen!,” I said to myself. She was there on behalf of her work with the Spirits Authority.

A frond of an agave plant. In April 2008, I took the five-day Beverage Alcohol Resource course. It was (and still is) an immersive class in spirits and cocktail education. I was the only journalist in a room of bartenders. I arrived at Astor Center in Manhattan at 8 a.m. on Monday and didn’t come up for air until Friday at 6 p.m. Part of each day’s work were blind tastings of different spirit categories.