La bella Conde

Finally, after a few missed opportunities I got to taste pulque.
Pulque is the product of the fermentation of the maguei plant, a close reletive of the agave from which tequila is made.

Pulquerias once very common around Mexico City, are now sort of a thing of the past, frequented mostly by afecionados and older people.
Luckily enough though, pulque is enjoying a comeback thanks to the curiosity of the younger generations and the work of famous Mexico City chefs and UNAM ( Mexico most illustrious university ).

Got to admit I was a little concerned at first because of a few reasons, such as the bad rep that pulquerias carry, the flavour and the texture of pulque which I've been told is quite peculiar and almost slimy.
What welcomed me as I slung the saloon style doors open was a slice of 1920's life.
"La Bella Cande" is 93 years old, turning 94 in a couple weeks and it shows it.
An original cast iron sink with art nouveau decor share the wall with an "open view" urinal... which is hung just across from the bar and in plain sight of the patrons ; )
The oxblood floor tiles, worn and chipped, are just beautiful and the old walls are highlighted by contemporary graffiti art portraying pulque mythology.

I am greeted by an red cheeks elderly gentleman, seating at a table and eating birria and quickly presented with the curados of the day, oatmeal and strawberry; curado is the term for flavoured pulque.
I start with a normal size , 500ml, oatmeal pulque, dusted with ground cinnamon...delicious.
What was holding me back so far, the texture, was actually very nice and... gnammy!
Dense, almost gelatinous but not slimy at all... a fresh oatmeal flavour and a slight hint of alcohol make pulque "go down" really easy.
Next is strawberry , smaller this time.
This one was quite different; with less body than the oatmeal the bubble from the fermentation process were noticeable as well as the alcohol.. always present but never imposing.
between sips I start "talking pulque" with my host, who tells me the story of the establishment and points out the paintings on the wall and the posters telling the history of this antique drink.
Slightly buzzed, this was my breakfast after all, I say "Hasta luego" to my gentle host and promise myself to come back for more curados .