Time to get slammed: where to say cheers to Mexico's Day of the Dead in London
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Halloween? It's so passé. It’s also Satan's birthday and as such, anyone caught celebrating it will go straight to hell — a high price to pay for eating a green cake and dressing as a sexy cat. No, the fashionable necrophile will bypass October 31 altogether and make straight for the Mexican Day of the Dead on November 1. For the Mexican, as Octavio Paz once wrote, “is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it”.
Mexico is alone among Western countries in making death a central part of life, as opposed to an afterthought. The Day of the Dead is a fusion of the Christian All Hallows’ Eve and the Aztec festival bigging up the Queen of the Underworld, whose name is Mictecacihuatl — and there’s nothing she likes better than a large glass of tequila.
Never mind slammers. If the tequila’s a good one — a nice 100 per cent agave reposado such as Herradura, Aqua Riva or Patrón — you’ll be surprised how delish it is. It also mixes up a dream. So raise a glass… to death!
Richard Godwin
MERRY-MAKING MEXICAN COCKTAILS
Wahaca
The Mexican-themed chain is offering a Blood Orange Margarita — shaken with 100 per cent agave tequila — on Friday and Saturday nights to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
Various venues; wahaca.co.uk
The Tequila Zombie will knock you out: it’s a mixture of blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas, exotic liqueurs, fresh pineapple, fresh lime and grapefruit juices, aromatic bitters and a mescal float.
54-56 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3QR, casanegra.co.uk
Crazy Homies
Spice things up with the Chilli Margarita: a blend of Chamucos Blanco tequila, lime, agave syrup and red-hot chillies.
125 Westbourne Park Rd, W2 5QL, crazyhomies.com
Fancy dress is compulsory at El Camion’s Day of the Dead Party; as is a bucket of Paloma, which tops off Blanco tequila with fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice and salt.
25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk
Phoebe Luckhurst
If that isn't enough deadly drinking for you, here's our guide to London's best Zombie cocktails.
