New Cocktail Menu is Here!

Gracias Madre in West Hollywood has become a staple in the Los Angeles food scene since their launch in 2014 with a focus on plant-based Mexican food and a dedication to delicious cocktails. To celebrate their continuous growth, Gracias Madre is excited to launch a new cocktail menu showcasing a wide variety of artisanal tequila and mezcal options.

With the menu, Gracias Madre is taking a stand against a popular tequila making process called diffuser production. They no longer serve any products subject to this industrialized process that can be harmful to the environment, destroys jobs in Mexico’s agave industry, and produces a chemically altered spirit.

The unique cocktail program was developed by the award-winning Maxwell Reis, who is the Beverage Director of Gracias Madre and oversees the development and execution of each cocktail. After 10 years of experience behind LA bars and experiencing the production of tequila and mezcal first hand, Reis preaches ethical agave practices and makes some of the best cocktails in the city.

Beyond highlighting the beverages that will be served at Gracias Madre, the menu is a colorful deep dive that focus heavily on distillation processes, regions of production, the difference between tequila and mezcal, the benefits of agave, and most importantly their move away from any tequila companies and distilleries that create their tequila using diffuser production.

“Gracias Madre will no longer serve any products subject to the industrialized and chemical process known as diffuser production or support the distilleries that house these practices,” comments Reis. “We hope this starts a conversation with our guests and other leaders in the industry for the sake of this beautiful spirit we love so much. We’ve taken this opportunity to take a stand against these processes and educate our guests about what they choose or choose not to put in their bodies.”

Since its introduction to the United States in 1893, tequila has become the most popular spirit category in North America. This has caused a manufacturing shift from old methods to the use of diffusers in order to create tequila faster and more efficiently. Unfortunately, the diffuser represents a method of production that can be harmful to the environment and produces a spirit that is chemically altered.

“I fell in love with agave spirits while tending bar in LA. Although after my initial visits to witness Mezcal production first hand in Oaxaca, I knew I had barely scratched the surface,” says Maxwell Reis. “The deeper I dug, the more I began to see each bottle as a story of tradition and the land from which it came. I wanted to give our guests the opportunity to look beyond any previous misconceptions and find an approachable foray into the world of what I feel is truly the most diverse and nuanced spirit category.”