Painting the Town

In our Night and Day section March 16, we featured a recipe for the Mezkalinha from Las Adelitas‘ Patricio Franzoni. Check out the video to see how Franzoni takes the traditional Mexican liquor mezcal and makes a refreshing cocktail that can complement any Mexican dish, and in the question and answer below learn more about Mexican liquor and how to drink it.

The Prague Post: How do you come up with recipes?

Patricio Franzoni: We develop drinks based on traditional Mexican drinks like margaritas using fresh fruits, for example we have a mango and chili margarita.

TPP: What are the best things to drink with traditional Mexican food?

PF: Beer is good, and tequila and mezcal are traditional – they give you a good punch. Mezcal is made from the same plant as tequila, but it tastes more wild because tequila is fermented twice, while mezcal is only fermented once, so it tastes more like the plant.

TPP: How are tequila and mezcal served with a traditional Mexican meal ?

PF: It depends, but tequila you usually enjoy it after eating to mix the flavors. Or some people like to sip on it while they eat. If you have good tequila, you serve it in a hot glass, which gives it a stronger smell, but other people like it better cold from the fridge.

TPP: How did you end up in Prague?

PF: I was traveling – I was a shepherd before and I stayed here to study business at the university and then started this business with my partner. We started it from home using a Facebook page, and people would order delivery. Then we opened the restaurant a little more than a year ago, but we still do delivery.

TPP: You were a shepherd?

PF: Yes I was a shepherd in Mexico, Israel, Bulgaria, Spain, India, and in a small village here. I’ve been here for four years.

TPP: Is Las Adelitas the only authentic Mexican restaurant in Prague?

PF: There are other Mexican restaurants in Prague, but what makes us different is we do the food in the right way, and any food done in the right was is good, like the food you would get from your mother’s home.