This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Echo Park Tequila Pub Crawl Brought More Street Traffic than Carmageddon

Echo Park based Real de Mexico tequila took neighbors on a night of walking, talking and tasting with a pub crawl to local favorites.

Carmageddon was a bust but Saturday’s tequila pub crawl through Echo Park was anything but. Tequila-loving neighbors tromped from to the , less than a mile route in about five hours on foot with good times along the way.

Matthew Jaime and Fernando Hernandez, owners of Echo Park-based Real de Mexico tequila, greeted crawlers at the night’s first gathering place, Taix, where signature cocktails were offered at a special rate to participants wearing free, red stretchy bracelets.

The cousins brought the family business–or “magic” as Hernandez called it with a smile--to Los Angeles in the form of a pure, single estate tequila straight from agave growers in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The tequila debuted in the United States 2009 right here in Echo Park at the Short Stop, which also served as the final stop of the night’s itinerary.

Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It was a perfect opportunity with carmaggedon,” Hernandez said of the crawl. Despite promotions at local venues and a following on Facebook, until Saturday, Real de Mexico had “never been able to a get a group out” together to enjoy the product and the neighborhood.

“We’re a new company with so many accounts in Echo Park. It’s great to be able to stumble to all of them,” Hernandez joked.

Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You Know How to Whistle

The crawl started with about 30 people gathered at the bar at Taix, where travelers from Redondo Beach and Torrance noted that the trip to Echo Park took less time than finding a place to park on Sunset.

Crawlers equated the event to community celebrations like the Sunset Junction festival and the Silver Lake Jubilee.

“It’s sweet. I can literally crawl to my apartment,“ Cesar Flores said while drinking a margarita-mojito hybrid developed by the Real de Mexico team. “ I hope it’s just a matter of time before there’s an Echo Park pub crawl art walk.”

To keep the crawl going, Lydia Jaime, wife of owner Matthew Jaime, kept drinkers in line with a whistle. Crawl participants, despite the distraction of a televised police chase on empty freeways and discounted cocktails, heeded the whistle by closing out tabs and falling in line.

“It’s like going on a field trip,” Jaime said while handing out maps to crawlers and bar patrons who decided to join the procession strolling along Sunset.

offered up jalapeño margaritas, where Silver Lake Jubilee coordinator Charles Renan met up with the crawl. “It’s a great idea,” Renn said, noting the interaction of neighbors around him as just one plus of such community-based events.

Taquitos for All

The crawl next moved to , where free taquitos helped increase crawl participation and tequila consumption.

“Don’t worry,” Hernandez assured as margaritas were poured, “our tequila is so pure it comes with a no hangover guarantee.”

Despite the revelry, crawlers minded their manners and bars welcomed and catered to them. Neighborhood favorite rounded out the crawl with shots and margaritas–although not on fire-before partiers headed next door to the Short Stop for the crawl’s finale.

“The media made way too huge of a deal of the 405 closure,” Echo Park resident Angel Guevara said. “I was going to stay in the neighborhood anyway so I thought, ‘Let me check this out.’”

Jaime and Hernandez both expressed pride not only in their product, but also the people of Echo Park, who have been both supportive and interested in their tequila. The company plans to hold more events in the neighborhood and expand beyond. Right now, Real de Mexico tequila can be found at the bars that were part of the crawl and purchased at Barkeeper in Silver Lake. The company’s website provides more details.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Echo Park-Silver Lake