Fall is a time for turning inward. In many cultures and philosophies, it is a dying to the old, and the new and regenerative energies come in the spring. We see the astrological sign of Scorpio at this time of year as well as Samhain, Halloween and as celebrated in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos – or Day of the Dead.
Most of us have been brushed with the passing of those near to us this year. Through illness and accidents, Squamish and its citizens have lost some fine folks. As a small community, the loss affects us all.
I just returned from Oaxaca in central Mexico, where for my distillery, Gillespie’s, I taught cocktail workshops, guest-bartended at a couple of hotspots (now I can say “I am big in Oaxaca”) and spent time with the makers of a beautiful mezcal brand called Pierde Almas. But the true highlight of the trip was celebrating the Day of the Dead. For certain places in Mexico, this celebration is bigger than Christmas. Beautiful altars are built honouring lost loved ones. They are covered in traditional items such as pomegranates, pan de muertos, sugar skulls, pictures of the deceased, flowers and much more. The art and celebration in these altars rivals any Christmas tree I have ever seen.
For two full days, the dead rise, and for those two days, the graveyards are full of people. Families and friends cozy up on the graves of their dearly departed, sharing mezcal, their loved ones’ favourite foods and music and spending time with them.
This is not a somber event. The air is filled with laughter, friendship, love and, of course, music. I think the state of Oaxaca has more tubas per capita than anywhere else in the world. There are marching bandas (bands) all over the town leading comparsas (parades) filled with people dressed ghoulishly. They travel throughout the town, through the graveyards, celebrating.
What a beautiful way this is to celebrate the people we love who are gone – to feel close to them, and to celebrate this beautiful life.
Mexican food feels like a celebration of life in and of itself. The Squamish Public library has a wonderful selection of Mexican cookbooks, and Nester’s and Save-On-Foods have just about everything you need to prepare a beautiful spread. If cooking is not your game, Mag’s 99 or the Casa Norte food truck are great options to get into the Mexican spirit.
Now, what is this mezcal that she keeps talking about? Mezcal is like the cowboy brother of tequila. In fact, all agave spirits are mezcals, so technically, tequila is a mezcal. Mezcal is a spirit produced with a number of different agaves, each imparting its own flavour to the spirit. It is often described as smoky as the pinas (hearts of the agave) are roasted in the ground. The process involves a giant stone, a donkey and stills built of clay. The gentlemen making the mezcal are as authentic as the spirit they make. It is special stuff, a long, slow sipper that should be fully enjoyed not as a shot, but as a journey.
One may be hard-pressed to buy mezcal in Squamish, but if you ask nicely at some of the local private liquor stores, they could always bring some in for you. My favourite brand is Pierde Almas (they make an awesome mezcal gin too), but there are many other amazing ones as well: Koch, Siete Misterios, Alipus, Los Danzantes are a few. Legacy Liquor store is a good resource.
I would love to see us bring a little Day of the Dead to Squamish next year. In our own way. A giant offrenda (altar) with images of people we have lost, some of our own version of altar items that are local to our community: honey, apples, locally made beer, spirits, pine and local baking. Then we could celebrate life with a big old Mexican feast full of colours, flavours and spice. Learn and embody the wisdom of this culture and celebrate being alive and those we miss.
