Traditional Spirits: Celebrating Rural Diversity

Take a DTour to the Spirits of Rural Mexico

Don’t miss a special three-course food pairing and mezcal tasting presented by Wormfarm Institute! El Tigre Mezcal, a cultural initiative, will share the traditional knowledge of the process of artisanal mezcal production at Patricio Garcia’s family chivita (mezcal factory) in Guerrero, Mexico, paired with three fresh interpretations of classic Mexican cuisine by Chef Ursulino Rueda of El Gusto Historico in Mexico City. Each course will be made with local Wisconsin ingredients, including nixtamalized corn tortillas from Tortilleria Zepeda, and served with a "copita" of traditional mezcal that represents the ancestral wisdom of the communities that cultivate the agave plant.

Collaborators will invite participants to discover the tradition of mezcal from the lower mountains of the state of Guerrero, and blend local Wisconsin flavor with Mexican culinary knowledge, drawing parallels and divergences between rural identities in Mexico and the United States. Participants will gain a fuller understanding of the origins of this unique spirit, and the reverence and agricultural values that elevate it beyond a mere beverage, to a social symbol of celebration, medicine, and cultural memory.

About the venue: The Free Congregation of Sauk County was started in 1852 as the Freie Gemeinde (Free Community) by Germans who emigrated to the U.S. seeking to practice their beliefs, express their thoughts, and search for the truth free from interference by the government or church. Historic Park Hall, 307 Polk St. in Sauk City, has been the congregation’s home since 1884.