Benito’s Hat: A Very Mexican May with Mezcal and Tamales

By Tom Gatehouse
@tragatehouse
tomgatehouse.com

Mezcal, a potent spirit made from the agave plant in Mexico, is best described by an age-old saying that originated from Oaxaca, one of the main areas where the drink is produced:

“For every ill, Mezcal, and for every good as well.”

Sipped from a glass like you would a scotch; Mezcal is clear in colour, smokey in flavour and wonderfully relaxing. It was a pleasure to try my first glass the other day in the West End, with the Mexican restaurant Benito’s Hat enjoying May in rather a unique way.

Their #MakeMayMexican project is in full flow, with each and every one of their six restaurants around London bristling with customers looking to try their special new menu before the end of the month. Not only is the Mezcal available in every cocktail (for just £1 more each) or in solo glasses, but they also have two different types of traditional tamales served on corn husks. Add regular bouts of bingo, cooking classes and tasting evenings aplenty and you’ve got yourself a party!

The month-long festivities at all Benito’s Hat restaurants began on May 5th for Cinco de Mayo – an annual Mexican celebration for their surprise victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 – and will end on May 31st.

A Tamale is a traditional steamed dish made with a corn-based dough mixed with chosen meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables or chillies. After combining ingredients, the mixture is transferred to a corn husk where it is steamed. It is then unwrapped and served.

Benito’s Hat have two different types of tamales, both coming in at a very reasonable £2.50 each:

Slow simmered pork with Guajillo sauce and melted Monterey Jack, and their vegetarian option, sautéed peppers and sweetcorn with salsa verde and melted Jack.

My companion and I had the Full Plato (£9) which includes both types of tamales with pots of pomegranate and chipotle slaw, black beans with feta and fresh pico de gallo. Not for a long time have I tasted anything as authentic as the tamales, with both options light and fluffy in texture and with a deep earthy flavour from being steamed in husks. Benito and his hat also know how to the basics properly, the beans particularly faultless. A brilliant little sharing platter.

With both husks mopped clean, we attacked the Mezcal. Benito’s have three different flavours of their artisanal option which all sport a red skull and crossbones with the words (in Spanish), “Brigade of Death”. Our waitress pitched in briefly to tell us that one of the bottles was called, ‘War’.

We both had a glass of each of the bottles with ice as the evening ticked on. We thought them so good that we put the spirit to the test in both a margarita and a mojito – with the Mezcal also disappearing with flying colours. Two bottles of ice-cold Modelo Especial finished us off as we tottered off into the mid-evening shine. While I’m actually quite surprised I made it home with little fuss, it’ll be no surprise when I return to the Hat for more.

Click here to check out my full review of Benito’s Hat: Covent Garden 

Benito’s Hat: #MakeMayMexican – May 5th to May 31st
Website: benitos-hat.com
Twitter: @BenitosChat