Cervezcal - San Miguel de Allende

Prices of tap beer are not cheap but the quality is ok.Couldn't enjoy our beers, as the bar tenders where smoking right on our faces and after getting into an argument of who was right about the MEXICAN ANTI SMOKING LAWS we decided to leave.Not very smart staff.The place is too dark.The second hand smoke gave me a headache and stingy eyes.THANK YOU PILLOCKS!

Atmosphere, friendliness, service and beer... All fantastic. I saw that a new bar had opened down the street from my house but had no idea until tonight that this little place was so dang cool. Excellent on all levels! The place is all stone with high ceilings and huge arches, and an over-the-top cute stone wishing well. Alex the attorney/owner with a PhD in criminal law and a love for good beer has opened the best neighborhood hangout in San Miguel. I've also found my new favorite Stout - Myosis Russian Imperial Stout, brewed by a friend of his in DF. (And I'm from Bend, Oregon, so finding a new, favorite dark beer means a lot.) There's a Happy Hour every day (closed Tues, Wed), and the prices are very reasonable for craft beers in Mexico. Obviously I highly recommend it and I hope to meet you at the bar. :-)

Rock star bartender Amilcar "Alex" Ferrer (formerly of "The Restaurant" fame) knocks it out the park with his new bar/resto "Cervezcal", a contraction of the new establishment's two principal specialties: craft-brewed artisinal Cervezas (beers) and Mezcales (premium artisinal liquors from Oaxaca, Mexico).My prediction is that Cervezcal will quickly become the de-facto hang-out for SMA locals and particularly the "In-the-Biz" crowd of restaurant professionals. This place is all about being comfortable, feeling personally welcomed and cared about by the owner and his staff, and exploring killer craft-brewed beers and artisinal Mezcales.I first met Amilcar when he was bartending for Donnie Masterton's "The Restaurant", and he quickly impressed me as the best bartender I've encountered in Mexico. But now he's even more impressive "in his own element", running a bar that specializes in his own two personal passions: really amazing microbrews and little-known (but astonishingly good) mezcales.Let's be clear - this is no tourist bar. If you're looking for Jalepno Poppers because that's what your friends back home in Manitoba told you that they have down in Mexico, and you want to wash them down with a bottle of Pacifico or Modelo because in your mind those are "local" beers, you're going to be very disappointed. On the other hand, if you're well-traveled and open-minded enough to already know that deep-fried crickets are a traditional bar snack in authentic Oaxacan Mezcal culture, you can rest assured that Amilcar has at lest two different varieties on offer, plus a delicious selection of other more conventional tapas dishes.The closest thing they even have to "mainstream" brands would probably be the Joya Mezcal and the Dos Aves line of beers, which are offered both on draught and in bottles. But everything else (and there's a lot) are little-known local microbrews personally selected by Amilcar based on his own deep passion for the little-known artisinal gems that really stand head and shoulders above the mass produced stuff you find in the liquor stores.To give you a sense of what I'm talking about, when presented with about a dozen choices of craft-brewed beers, ales and stouts, I simply told Amilcar "I have no idea. Which of these do you know most about personally?" He literally *apologized* for the fact that only *one* of the available selections was a local brew he had personally participated in *brewing* himself! All the rest were "only" beers brewed by his close friends and colleagues whom he's developed close relationships with over the years. And it's the same thing on the Mezcal front: Every unique, unusual bottle comes with a personal story from Amilcar about how and where he discovered that particular offering. In many cases, he has personal relationships with the boutique producers in the Oaxaca region.The "back room" had yet to be furnished when I visited on opening night, but something about the room just felt inviting. I predict it will evolve to become a "SMA Locals" hangout, and I wouldn't be surprised if the in-the-biz crowd takes over the back room as their new solace from the tourists.For now the food is limited to bar tapas, but it's exceptionally good. What I love most, though, is Amilcar's "Customer always comes first" attitude and commitment to customer service. For example, I remarked to him that my only disappointment was that such a wonderfully comfortable and inviting bar doesn't exist in any of the restaurants in town that serve a full dinner menu. His instantaneous response: "You can eat anything you want at my bar. Just tell me which restaurants in town you like most, and I'll see if I can get them to deliver anything you want from their menu to you right here at this bar". Just an immediate, absolute commitment to doing whatever it takes to satisfy his customers. That's just how Amilcar rolls.In closing, if you're a tourist looking for Mexico's standard offerings to tourists, this is not the place for you. Mama Mia and Hank's are the best bar-restaurants in town for tourists, and they're happy to offer you a wide selection of brands you're already familiar with, foods (such as Burritos) you probably think are Mexican specialties even though they're not, etc. Cervezcal is a place for people who want to experience the truly unique, artisinal side of the beer and Mezcal universe. These are sophisticated, acquired tastes, and a bar with this degree of specialization isn't for everyone. They don't have any Budweiser or Quervo Gold, nor do they have pretzels and cocktail peanuts on the bar. This is the real deal, and it's intended for sophisticated, open-minded people who appreciate authentic Oaxacan Mezcales and the associated culture and traditions that go with them. For people who understand and appreciate such things, you're absolutely going to love this place! (And if you read my reviews of other SMA restaurants, you'll notice that I very, very rarely hand out such strong and unconditional compliments).

Local beer and draft beer are hard to find in many areas of Mexico. Local and draft beer is even harder. Combine that gem with a nice variety of awesome Mezcales from Oaxaca and other areas, add good music, large beautiful wood tables, high ceilings, good grubs on the menu and staff who actually know about the beer and mezcal they're serving because they love it too, you get my favorite bar in San Miguel by far.3 min walk from the Jardin. Great for a game night, learning more about mezcal, trying local beers (over 20 bottles too), working on your lappy or just plain hanging out. I love this place.

Cervezcal had the best variety of artesenal Mezcal and Beer in San Miguel. Friendly folks, live music on Saturdays, great tapas. Check it out. You'll love it!