Panorama Mezcal Festival on La Barca Cantina

La Barca Cantina, New York City’s first and only floating Mexican restaurant and bar, is kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month with Panorama Mezcal Festival, a special one-day-only event featuring exclusive tastings and seminars about tequila, mezcal, stool, and other agave spirits.

Hosted by Panorama Mezcal founder José “Chema” María Dondé Rangel and La Barca Cantina, guests will have the chance to sample over 300 agave spirits from producers including Mal Bien, Santanera, Cuixe, El Jolgorio, and more.

Discover deeper connections to the universe of Mexican distilled spirits while enjoying delicious Mexican-inspired light bites, upbeat Latin music from DJ Beto, and a live performance by Duo Dinámico Erika and Gustavo. In addition to exclusive tastings of Mexico’s finest agave spirits – including expressions from sponsors El Tesoro, Mijenta, and Herradura – ticket holders will have the chance to attend educational seminars from some of the foremost names in the agave industry.

The lineup, curated by Panorama Mezcal, includes: 

• Agave Culture & Certification with Tess Rose Lampert: Tess Rose Lampert, a beverage specialist, journalist, and agave expert known for her fun educational experiences exploring the flavors of Mexico, will discuss the main difference between certificate Mezcal and Distill Agave spirits. She’ll speak about the cultural and political take around this conversation, and the importance of understanding that tradition came before denomination. Lampert’s accolades include an Advanced Degree from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Spanish Wine Educator Certificate, a Master of Arts in Philosophy of Food and Drink from the University of East Anglia UK.
• Agave Beverages with Yana Volfson: Yana Volfson, the beverage director and driving force at NYC’s award-winning restaurants Cosme and Atla, as well as Ditroit and Damain in LA, will discuss how to incorporate agave spirits into a beverage program, diving into the complexity of Mexican spirits to work with behind the bar. Born and raised in the Bronx, Volfson spends most of her time in the company of Mexico City’s most talented expats, bringing some of the world’s tastiest cocktails to tables from CDMX to NYC.  
• Vino de Mezcal from the Region of Tequila with David Suro: David Suro, a highly regarded voice and producer in tequila, will take guests behind the history, culture, and tradition of making agave spirits in the state of Jalisco, where tequila was first made. He’ll discuss the ancestral background of Vino de Tequila, including the first techniques used, and its evolution through time. Suro is the first native Mexican who, after migrating to the US in 1985, returned to his homeland of Gaudalajara to produce his own Tequila, Siembra Azul. Suro has continued his crusade to spread the gospel of Tequila and has initiated Tequila Orientation Seminars in prominent restaurants and establishments throughout the country.

Guests will have full access to the three-level luxury yacht, including an expansive outdoor top deck, three bars, and two beautiful, air-conditioned decks. Attendees will also have the chance to admire custom, agave-inspired art murals designed by renowned Mexican-American artist, Tlisza Jaurique.