Mixologists' Mecca In Mexico City: Xaman Bar

Bar-goers in Mexico City have the chance to mix small-batch spirits with shamanistic recipes at Xaman Bar.

Xaman bar, in Mexico City’s central Juárez distict, offers cocktails mixed with ingredients that have been used in medicine for centuries.

The power of plants

Xaman claims to offer a new experience, focused on “the power of plants, respect for nature, the importance of place as a catalyst for states of consciousness and music”. In its signature drinks, spirits like bourbon, mezcal and gin are mixed with the likes of xoconostle (prickly pear), lime juice, agave, wakame seaweed, refreshing manzano peppers and guava.

Herbs including rosemary, epazote (Mexican tea) and hoja santa (sacred leaf) are added. Some drinks feature copal, a resin associated with purification, which is set on fire so its smoke can be collected in a bell jar and inhaled.

Tasting the mystery

Xaman Bar is at Copenhagen 6, tucked down a nondescript flight of stairs. There’s also music, craft beer and cheese-and-charcuterie boards for snacking.

The herbs used at the bar have roots in genuine Azetc practices. Plants were central to the empire’s medicine, and continue to be used by some Mexicans for everything from general cleansing to restoring energy and battling infections – some are even said to make you more intelligent. Markets offering traditional concoctions can be found across the country, and visitors can get an academic sense of Aztec botany at the Museum of Medicine in Mexico City.

Another popular practice is the temazcal, a sweat-lodge ritual combining hot rocks, herbs, chanting and prayers connected to the elements of earth, wind, fire and water. Initially associated with marriage, healing and preparing warriors for battle, today these sessions are popular with Mexicans and foreigners hoping for spiritual rebirth.

Other visitors seek out hallucinogenic substances including peyote and magic mushrooms, which are also used in ceremonies by shamans. All of which makes a herbal cocktail in a city bar seem like a blissfully easy way to explore the power of plants.

Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.

Our immersive trips, led by Local Insiders, are once-in-a-lifetime experiences and an invitation to travel the world with like-minded explorers. Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you make perfect memories. All our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.?>

All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.