You Need to Drink at This Hidden Mezcaleria Inside Bowen House

Uptown’s Bowen House has long been known as a haunt for fancy cocktail drinkers, but now the popular bar is home to what might be the city’s most interesting new mezcaleria.

Tucked into a room the size of a large closet in the back of Bowen House is Santos Y Pecadores, a project from the minds of Daniel Zapata and Mauricio Gallegos. Zapata, who was educated in Mexico and has spent time behind some of the city’s finest bars, tells Eater that the spot has been quietly operating for the past few weeks as he and Gallegos finalize the booze and food menus.

The interior space is best described as dark and moody, complete with plenty of candles and a shrine near the walkway. Religious iconography and luchador masks are also prominent, which means that it won’t be totally out of the ordinary to see a bartender shaking drinks while decked out like he’s about to try out for Lucha libre.

“We’re improving as we go,” says Zapata. “We are looking forward to share the authenticity of our culture with as many varieties of mezcal as we can find for those connoisseurs and adventurous drinkers.” The mescal is served traditionally (aka straight up) and mixed into cocktails, like the El Pozol, mized with chocolate and corn pozolero. Also on offer is the Pala Niña, mixed with fermented pineapple beverage tepache.

Instead of beer, drinkers will find pulque, a drink made from the fermented sap of the agave plant. As far as the food is concerned, Gallegos and Zapata will also man the kitchen, which will serve a menu of traditional Mexican appetizers, though what those dishes will be hasn’t been finalized just yet.

Santos Y Pecadores is now open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.