By Carola Rico
Rarely have I experienced such an unusual interview. When I schedule an interview with someone, I try to balance time and place and typically look for a calm, quiet space where I can record what’s said, take photographs, and reflect on what I want to write.
The interviewee on this occasion was Héctor Quiroz, director of Mixología HQM. From the initial point of contact, he treated us wonderfully. We agreed to discuss the mixology workshops he teaches—a topic that’s both exciting and interesting to me and about which I previously had no knowledge.
When the day of the appointment arrived, we went to the designated place inside a hotel in and old house on San Francisco Street. We were received by a very friendly woman at reception, and she asked us to wait for a moment while she went to inform Quiroz of our arrival. She returned shortly and indicated a path for us to follow that led us toward a dark room. Then she closed the door, and we were left in total darkness for five long seconds, after which another door opened, and we were taken to a tiny club, where it felt like we had been transported back in time. It seemed like it was 10 at night.
Quiroz explained that the goal of this workshop experience is to recreate the 1920s’ prohibition-era speakeasies of the United States, complete with their secret entrances and at which illegally distilled liquor and flavors of dubious origin turned drinking spirits into an underground adventure. While mixology wasn’t invented during the Roaring Twenties, many now-classic cocktails were created then.
The workshop and mixology experience takes place in an old house dating back to 1740. It was built with walls of 60 to 80 cm thickness that provide excellent insulation.
According to Quiroz, one objective of this workshop is to suspend time, and no matter what time, day, or weather conditions, the experience will always be the same. It should be noted that this is not a restaurant or a bar; it is an experience that has a beginning and an end.
During the interview we created four different cocktails. These were accompanied by food while we tasted the drinks, which we made ourselves and which were easy to replicate and very tasty. Quiroz began with a brief explanation of the necessary instruments: special jiggers to measure the liquids, utensils to stir the cocktails, and the cocktail ingredients.
This mixology experience has been in San Miguel for almost a year and began during the pandemic as the organizers contemplated possible new attractions for the return of tourism. Currently, there are one or two workshops per week. The minimum number of people required for each workshop is two, and the maximum is 16. Reservations are required and can be made up to 24 hours in advance. You can contact them at 415 154 9600 or on their social media (Mixologia HQM).
There have been business groups, couples, and groups of friends who have attended this fun and unique workshop with Quiroz. He explained how he came up with the concept. «We came up with the idea of making and designing a mixology workshop so that people have fun. It must be fun, fast, easy, and dynamic.» He continued, “And I think we have achieved this. Everyone who has come has had fun.”
The workshop is for both tourists and locals and can be conducted in English, if desired.
