On the Menu: Mirate Los Angeles

Welcome to On the Menu, where we explore what makes a bar’s menu unique, intriguing, and all-around delicious.

For this year’s Imbibe 75, we spotlight Mirate in Los Angeles as a place to watch for its thoughtful agave spirits selection and playful but technique-driven cocktails. Beverage director Max Reis describes it as “an invitation to learn.” And so, to learn more about the menu, we chatted with Reis about what inspires him, his approach to creating cocktails, and which drink on the menu he wished got more attention.

Note: LA was hit with devastating wildfires last week, and the city has come together to support evacuees and first responders. Starting next Tuesday and for the next three months, the restaurant will be partnering with Gallo to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity, which is helping wildfire survivors rebuild homes or relocate to new housing. Although this fundraising initiative for Habitat goes through March, at the restaurant’s Tuesday kickoff event, funds raised will directly benefit a Mirate bartender whose house burned down in the Eaton fire. 

Imbibe: What helps you conceive of Mirate’s cocktails and menu?

Max Reis: I’m inspired by everything that surrounds me—my trips to Mexico and the many micro cultures that exist there, the city I live in, my friends, my team, and probably, most importantly, my experiences seeing what others are doing and feeling inspired to push the boundaries to create something I can’t find anywhere else. Sometimes I’m inspired by cutting technique, sometimes by Mexican ancestral beverages, sometimes just by the idea of creating something so off-the-wall it shocks our guests—but we know we can make it memorable instead of confrontational.

You include a classic cocktail name under the names of the house cocktails. Can you explain why you take this approach?

We focus heavily on our spirit sourcing at Mirate. So it’s really important to us that we showcase the name of the spirit the guest is enjoying. We also use a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. Because all that can be a little daunting to navigate for some, we provide a classic cocktail it can be likened to, or the drink it is rooted in, for context. We also showcase the predominant spirit next to the name of each drink, so the guest can understand the spirits they’re about to enjoy on more of surface level, if they want to take a deep dive or are unfamiliar with the category. 

What’s the most popular cocktail on Mirate’s menu?

Currently, the Guero, an aguachile-inspired cocktail that has been top of the list since Day One. It’s evolved and continued to evolve. But at its core it also invokes the same feeling of its culinary intentions. I like to think of it as our “Celery,” the most popular cocktail at [Los Angeles restaurant] Republique under Shawn Lickliter, where I cut my teeth. Green, top selling, ever evolving, and always on the menu. 

What makes Mirate’s menu unique?

I think all our offerings are unique. It was actually a challenge from ownership when we opened, even in our simplest offerings. For example, our Tommy’s Margarita uses a formulated, more sustainable agave nectar substitute we call “nogave.” And the spirit we showcase in it is sourced just for the restaurant. The goal is to not shove it in anyone’s face. But if you want to dig deeper into any of our menu offerings, we can always go down the rabbit hole of cocktail technique. And of course, the great length we go to in order to source and showcase unique and often Mirate-exclusive spirits. 

You offer an expansive selection of Mexican spirits, not just agave, but also rum and vodka. Why is that important to you?

I realized years ago when running a purely agave bar that if I achieved my goal in terms of sales and volume, we were greatly depleting a spirit that, at its core, is unsustainable to produce and consume at our current global volume. When opening Mirate, I decided to showcase a greater deal of what I feel are more sustainable offerings of Mexican sprints, especially in cocktails, as well as elevate the conversation of Mexican spirits in general, showcasing the amazing diversity the spirits culture of Mexico has to offer. 

What’s a drink or an element of the menu that you’d like get more attention and why?

One of the elements of our menu I wish more people delved into is our ancestral beverage offering section, such as pulque and tepache. I take immense pride in offering them in their authentic format so when someone enjoys them in a cocktail, they can satiate their newfound curiosity of the ingredient in its pure form. It helps shine a light on aspects of Mexican culture very common throughout its home country, that don’t often permeate the rest of the world. 

What do you hope people take away from their experience at Mirate?

I hope people leave Mirate with their minds absolutely blown by the amount of thought we put into our work—from the producers we proudly support, to the technique and execution of our drinks; to have curiosity of things they never knew existed that make them eager to return and further explore; and, of course, to have a total blast because we weren’t pretentious (which, when you read about our program on paper, we could totally be). We don’t want to alienate people with the unknown or make them feel stupid. We want them to feel taken on a journey, and, of course, have an incredible and memorable time when they’re on it.

On the flip side, I also want them to question why we’re serving such high quality and unique spirits, when they can go down the road for the same price and get some mass-produced spirit focused more on branding than the actual spirit. I want them to understand they can affordably get quality products supporting real people that deserve support, instead of paying junk that funds mass advertising campaigns and party busses for bartenders. Of course, we are polite and use hospitality to navigate that, building up the brands we carry, instead of tearing brands down (well … except sometimes … sorry not sorry, celebrity tequila I shall not name). Most importantly, though, I want people to have a fun and amazing time and feel community, which is the heart of any good bar.