New Orleans’ First Mezcal Bar is Now Open in the CBD

The liquor license is in and the mezcal is flowing at Espiritu on Capdeville Street in the CBD.

New Orleans’ first bar focused on the agave-based spirit opened last week sans liquor license and with a limited menu, but by Friday was offering up its vast and still-growing mezcal collection. Espiritu, meaning “spirit” in Spanish, is modeled after a Mexico City mezcaleria, according to owner Jason Mitzen, who is a Mexican government-certified “Master Mezcalier.”

Mitzen owns the bar with his wife, Amanda Sesser, and chef Nanyo Dominguez Cervantes, who most recently worked at Peruvian restaurant Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco and before that Johnny Sanchez, the taco hotspot from Aarón Sánchez and John Besh. Espiritu opened in the previous location of gastropub Capdeville, which closed unexpectedly earlier this year, allegedly leaving employees unpaid.

The CBD mezcaleria, open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for dinner on Saturday, serves tacos, tortas, and ceviches with a precisely Mexican influence - don’t expect to satisfy your Tex-Mex craving here. Espiritu will be open this Sunday for the Saints game, but don’t get used to it. A solid happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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• The CBD Will Welcome a Mezcal Bar Next Month [ENOLA]
• Capdeville Closes, Allegedly Leaving Workers Unpaid [ENOLA]