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Ray’s Bar | New York

Opened by John Rexer in the early 2000s, Café No Sé has become the beating heart of an international music scene in Antigua, Guatemala. This is the original home of Ilegal Mezcal + the first mezcal bar opened outside of Mexico.

Bar Ilegal is an experiential outpost of Café No Sé. After stops across the U.S, from Upstate NY in February, through to Florida, California, and Texas in the spring, Nashville, Montauk, and New Orleans in the summer, and back to Dallas in the fall, the Bar Ilegal 2022 tour came to an end November 17th with an absolute blowout at the iconic Ray’s Bar.

Originally planned for just the Basement at Ray’s but upgraded to a full bar takeover once the over 800(!) RSVPs came in, this was a party for the ages. The line wrapped around the block, Ilegal cocktails flowed at both the basement and ground floor bars, and Daniel Cotte provided free Ilegal flash at the tattoo station downstairs. And at 9pm, SUSU brought the packed house to its knees, with an electrifying set, full of crowd surfing, dancing on the bar moments.

We can’t wait to get back out there next year. Until then, plenty to see in the gallery below (photos by Anthony Batista).

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Ilegal Mezcal 7 Year Añejo Launch Party

Ilegal Mezcal helped introduce the world to aged mezcal with our Reposado and Añejo expressions, and our rare, new Limited Edition 7 Year Añejo expands our showcasing of barrel aged innovation and artisanal craft.

On a rainy New York night in November 2022, we gathered a small group of friends, downtown luminaries, and industry leadership into the opulent South Loft of the Soho Grand to commemorate this very special occasion.

Those in attendance were among the first in the world to try the 7 Year Añejo, with a celebratory toast from our Global Brand Ambassador Gilbert Marquez, who also curated the cocktail menu and, along with our dear friend Stefan Marolachakis, played host to the evening’s festivites.

DJ Alberto Pazzi helped set the mood, followed by a lively set from City of the Sun. A classic downtown night, and the perfect way to introduce this exceptional mezcal to the world.

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Jaxon Beer Garden | Dallas

Opened by John Rexer in the early 2000s, Café No Sé has become the beating heart of an international music scene in Antigua, Guatemala. This is the original home of Ilegal Mezcal + the first mezcal bar opened outside of Mexico.

Bar Ilegal is an experiential outpost of Café No Sé. In 2022, our tour has stopped through Hunter (NY), Florida, California, Texas, Nashville, and Montauk, and New Orleans. Our Dallas pop-up at Jaxon Beer Garden went down big, right in the middle of downtown’s AT&T Discovery District. Our bartenders were crafting delicious mezcal cocktails with mixers from our partners Fever-Tree. SUSU brought the fire in front of a giant Ilegal video display, Bar Ilegal tees were screenprinted on the spot, and tattoo artists Travis Smithhart and James Haynes provided the free flash.

See for yourself in our recap video and the gallery below (photos by Sarah Craig)

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Introducing Mr Black Mezcal Cask Coffee Liqueur

The newly released Mr Black Mezcal Cask Coffee Liqueur is rested in ex-Ilegal Mezcal casks, with an added touch of Ilegal Joven. 

“This is an exciting collaboration between two brands that were bound to cross paths,” says Gilbert Marquez, Global Brand Ambassador for Ilegal Mezcal. “The liquid is a beautiful balance of roasted coffee and sweet agave, reminiscent of Oaxacan Café de Olla spiked with mezcal.”

The spirit was rested for three months in Ilegal Mezcal’s American Oak barrels, imported to Australia from Oaxaca, Mexico. After aging, the Mr Black team fortified the liquor with Ilegal Mezcal Joven, to bring aromatic agave notes to the final blend. The result is big coffee vibes up front that give way to rich, toasted agave notes, with just a hint of smoke on the finish. a one of a kind flavor made from artisan distillers a world apart.

As with all Mr Black special editions, they made a limited amount and it won’t last long. Get it now at the Mr Black online shop.

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Odd Birds | New Orleans

Opened by John Rexer in the early 2000s, Café No Sé has become the beating heart of an international music scene in Antigua, Guatemala. This is the original home of Ilegal Mezcal + the first mezcal bar opened outside of Mexico.

Bar Ilegal is an experiential outpost of Café No Sé, now in its 11th year. So far in 2022, the Bar Ilegal tour has made stops in Upstate NY, Florida, California, Texas, Nashville, and Montauk.

Our New Orleans stop aligned with the in-person return of Tales of the Cocktail. We got to see Ilegal team members from around the country, talented people from across the spirit industry, and many, many fans of mezcal and our brand. 500 people RSVP’d, and even more came through the doors of the Selina Catahoula and their brand new bar Odd Birds.

The event gave us the opportunity to show what Ilegal is all about, and our team delivered, with a full hotel takeover, specialty Joven and Reposado cocktails in partnership with the Odd Birds team, flash tattoos by Greyscale Tattoo Studio, and a raucous performance by New York band Dead Tooth. See how it went down in the gallery below (all photos by Jacob Dunn).

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Ilegal Gallery Presents: Acacia, Daniel Irons, & Danielle Otrakji

Brooklyn turned out to see and shop the original paintings, illustrations, and merchandise from each of the artists, and to catch lively sets from legendary DJ Jonathan Toubin and the riveting Daddy Long Legs.

The final weekend to see the show (and pick up some affordable art and merch!) is August 27-28. The gallery, along with our Ilegal shop, is open 12-5pm.

Check out photos below from Emilina Filippo to see how it all went down!

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Montauk, NY | Hideaway

Opened by John Rexer in the early 2000s, Café No Sé has become the beating heart of an international music scene in Antigua, Guatemala. This is the original home of Ilegal Mezcal + the first mezcal bar opened outside of Mexico.

Bar Ilegal is an experiential outpost of Café No Sé. So far in 2022, Bar Ilegal has ventured through Hunter, NY, two Florida stops in March, two in California in April, Texas in May, and Nashville earlier in June.

The weekend of June 18th, a huge Ilegal Mezcal delegation gathered in Montauk, NY to host Bar Ilegal at a little spot on the bay called Hideaway. The many Ilegal flash tattoos were provided by Daniel Cotte, mezcal cocktails poured by Tintin, Allie, and the NY Ilegal crew, and SUSU had the packed crowd dancing inside and out.

Pics from Sarah Craig in the gallery below!

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Ilegal Gallery Presents: MANI by Nico Malvaldi

On July 16th, 2022, the exhibit opened at with a performance by the New York band Dead Tooth. A short video from the event, shot and edited by Nara Avakian, is above, with photos by Jack Pompe in the gallery below.

Nico Malvaldi’s exhibition is made of thirty 20”x28” black & white prints along with the whole series of the self-published “paper” MANI, which stands as testimony to the long-lasting collaboration between the photographer and Ilegal Mezcal.

The exhibit will be viewable through August 1st at Ilegal Mezcal HQ, 38 Greenpoint Ave, Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5PM.

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The Cove: After Dark

Join host Travis Ross as he gets an intimate peek into the lives of inspiring creatives pushing the boundaries in art, music, fashion, business and more. Each episode gives viewers an exclusive inside look when Travis meets up with guests in their natural habitat in the iconic city of Los Angeles.

The “after party” moves to The Lost Cove Co. headquarters in Inglewood, California (also known as “The Cove”) to partake in a late night drink of choice while taking a deeper dive into the drive and passion of what makes these individuals a force to be reckoned with in their respective industries. At The Cove, anything can happen, and anything goes! Almost.

Additional segments vary each episodes and include live musical performances, in-studio tattoos, billiards, games, and comedy, showing viewers the raw, uncensored personality and real-time reactions of each guest. Check out the episode featuring Ilegal Mezcal Brand Ambassador Gilbert Marquez, and head to their YouTube channel to watch the entire series.