A festive traditional way to serve mezcal or tequila. This is a set of 4 mezcal “jicara” sipping cups, hand-made in Oaxaca, Mexico. The set shown in the photos is exactly what will be sent. Each cup is roughly 1.75” high by about 3.25” wide, give or take a bit, and each comes with a braided fiber base. They hold 3- 4 ounces of liquid, give or take 1/2 ounce. The outsides have been decorated with hand-carved animals; the insides are unfinished and slightly porous. They absorb some of the liquid and take on the smoky essence of the mezcal. (for this reason, using scented soaps to wash them is not recommended. A good rinse in hot water is fine). Animals in this set are a fox, a whale, a songbird, and a leopard.
When wandering through Mexican street fairs or markets, you often see beverages (like Atole or hot chocolate) being served in brightly lacquered, decorative gourds. The little mezcal jicaras in this set are made from small versions of the same thing; they are the shell of a calabash fruit that grows on trees. The fruit is cut in half, scooped out and the shells are boiled and dried, and then decorated.
The set shown in the first photo/video is the exact set which will be shipped.
Directions for care are included.