6 Places to Try Mezcal in Charlotte

BOTTLES OF MEZCAL, unmarked except for names in black Sharpie on strips of blue tape, are lined up on a table in front of more than a dozen of Charlotte’s best bartenders. They’re here to learn about the agave spirit from Lou Bank, a Chicago resident who comes to town every now and then to visit family in Waxhaw. Bank is the founder of a nonprofit called S.A.C.R.E.D., Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development. He travels to family-run distilleries in rural Mexico, mostly surrounding Oaxaca, often bringing back bottles to share with American tasters. Bank hopes to educate people about agave spirits, including mezcal, so when The Punch Room’s head mixologist, Bob Peters, organized this meet-up with drink professionals, Bank was thrilled.