Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2016 kicked off with an interactive #50BestTalks: Latin Liquids event, held at J&G Grill at The St. Regis Mexico City.
Focusing on national drinks from across the region, our 50 Best speakers included Leonor Espinosa from Leo in Bogotá, Enrique Olvera from Pujol in Mexico City, Kurt Schmidt and Chabi Cádiz from 99 in Santiago and Carlos García from Alto in Caracas.
See highlights from the event in pictures and follow the hashtag for more!
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1. Welcome cocktails
What better way to introduce a discussion about Latin American drinks than with some fabulous cocktails, courtesy of Moët Hennessy? Our guests were treated to drinks including the Hennessy Game Changer and Hennessy Horchata.
2. Selfies on arrival
Tastemakers, foodies, chefs and media from all over the region came to enjoy the talks by our special panel of 50 Best experts.
3. Preparing the drinks
Bartender extraordinaire Chabi Cádiz from 99 in Santiago prepares the cocktail pairing for her presentation with Kurt Schmidt.
4. Canapés from J&G Grill
Chef de Cuisine Olivier Deboise Mendez prepared delicious canapés including this juicy Wagyu beef concoction.
5. Leo Espinosa
Bogotá's own Leonor Espinosa presented a host of ancestral drinks from Colombia, including a sherry-like fermented corozo fruit drink and some aphrodisiacal beverages.
6. Enrique Olvera
The King of Mexican cuisine, Enrique Olvera, taught the audience about pulque, with tastings of the drink at various stages of production.
7. Kurt Schmidt
Kurt Schmidt and Chabi Cádiz from 99 in Santiago taught us all about the process behind their new drinks pairings.
8. Anatomy of a cocktail pairing
Schmidt and Cádiz talked us through the thinking behind the cocktail pairings for two of their dishes, including chochas (a mollusc found only in Chile), algae and cauliflower.
9. 99 dish
From paper to the plate, 99's chochas, algae and cauliflower dish with Dirty 99 cocktail.
10. Tasting time
Guests tucked into the 99 pairing.
11. Carlos García
Carlos García from Alto in Caracas showcased Venezuelan rum and its pairing with chocolate, while the audience sampled his Tierra de Cacao dessert in miniature.
12. Prizes for tweeters
The best tweeters and Instagrammers from the day received a bottle of limited edition Hennessy Very Special Cognac.
13. Group photo
From left to right: William Drew, Group Editor, Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants; Carlos García; Kurt Schmidt; Enrique Olvera; Laura Price, Content Editor, Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants; Chabi Cádiz; Gustavo Saez, 99; Hélène Pietrini, Director, Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.
