Swamp Spirits: The Michelin Restaurants That Made a ‘Florida-Inspired’ Mezcal Distilled With Real Alligator

(Photo: Kaya Orlando)

Amidst the natural springs and enormous castles of Orlando, two critically acclaimed restaurants teamed up to make a “Florida-inspired” mezcal distilled with real alligator, plantains, coconut and more.

The exciting collaboration was born from Kaya, a Michelin-recommended Filipino dining spot, and Otto’s High Dive, a Bib Gourmand Cuban restaurant beloved within the community for its Sunday pig roasts.

Enticed by the rich but often untold history of mezcal that intersected with their restaurants in unexpected ways, the duo traveled to Michoacán, Mexico to work with La Luna Mezcal, a renowned distillery headed up by Salvador Chavez. Months later, Kaya and Otto’s have finally brought their artesanal mezcal to market in the United States.

The “Florida-inspired” mezcal. (Photo: La Luna)

We sat down with Jamilyn Salonga Bailey and Renate Spurlock, co-owner and bar manager at Kaya respectively, to understand the inspiration behind this truly one-of-a-kind spirit.

“Brainstorming, we realized that Cuban and Filipino cuisine have a lot of parallel flavors. We thought, let’s do a pechuga — a pechuga that embodies both sides of us, our community and Florida as a whole,” said Renate. 

The Making of a Marvelous Mezcal

Pouring barrels in Michoacán, Mexico. (Photo: Kaya Orlando)

Mezcal de pechuga (pechuga translating to “breast” in Spanish) is a category of spirit that elevates meat to the forefront. After roasting and distilling their agave piñas, mezcaleros perform a final distillation in which a hefty protein is hung above the bubbling still. Vapors rise, flavorful juices drop, and an unexpected osmosis of influences is formed.

Though you’ll frequently see chicken or turkey, the regional varieties are endless. Depending on what distillers have on hand, pechuga mezcals have been made with everything from rabbit to snake to Iberico ham. In addition to meat, pechugas are distilled with a wide variety of fresh ingredients such as almonds, apples and white rice which are tossed into the still to bring added complexity.

For Kaya and Otto’s, the regional influence was Florida. As Renate listed off the cornucopia of fruits and spices that La Luna included during distillation, we got a better idea of what a “Florida-inspired” mezcal really looked like.

In addition to alligator, ingredients included fresh platanos, bay leaf and coconut. (Photo: Kaya Orlando)

“Bay Leaf is used a lot in Filipino and Cuban culture. Orange blossom is incredibly Florida, and Calamansi (a hybrid between a kumquat and a mandarin orange) very diverse, Filipino. The coconut tropical, to give it a smooth softness. And the alligator – well, it’s Florida, why not. “

Beyond that, the influences go even deeper. Kaya and Otto’s new spirit follows up not only on the regional history of pechuga mezcal, but on that of mezcal itself.

Jami explained that the distillation method used for tequila and mezcal was influenced by Filipino sailors on the Galleon trade between Acapulco and the Philippines in the late 16th century. Though mezcal is a quintessentially Mexican spirit, that centuries-old influence from 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean can still be seen everywhere.

“The stills that they use at La Luna are called Filipino stills. The mash is even called ‘tuba‘ — what we in the Philippines call palm spirit,” said Jami. “Partnering with La Luna and making a mezcal just made so much sense for us because there’s a story there that hasn’t been told.”

Invented in the 1570s to distill palm liquor, Filipino stills are now a mainstay of mezcal production throughout Mexico. (Photo: Kaya Orlando)

All said and done, 120 bottles of the exclusive mezcal were brought back to Orlando. Customers snatched them up for $110 a piece at a series of tasting sessions that Kaya and Otto’s held throughout June.

Given the restaurant’s Michelin-tier status, food pairings were a must. Sips of mezcal were served alongside octopus and, naturally, alligator bites. Imagining the possibilities, Renate speculated that pancit (stir friend Filipino noodles), mushrooms, vegetables and fresh fish would all make excellent accompaniments to the mezcal’s bright floral palate.

A bite of well-garnished grilled octopus served alongside alligator mezcal at one of several tasting events. (Photo: Jessica Gleman)

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