#maya—🥤.

[xtruss]

Mexico City’s Tlecān Reimagines Tascalate — A Maya Drink made with Maíz, Cacao, Achiote and Water—as a bright and earthy mezcal cocktail. Photo: Andrew Reiner

An Ancient Drink Enters The 21st Century

— February 05, 2024 | By Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu

Tlecān, a minuscule mezcalería in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood, is named after the Náhuatl word meaning “place of fire,” and it lives up to its name the moment you step inside.

A reddish-brown glow illuminates the space; smoke swirls under the dark and moody lighting. The air is thick and smells of an earthy resin. Along the back wall stands a replica of the disc of death, an iconic Aztec sculpture depicting Mictlantecuhtli, the god of death. It’s one of the bar’s many tributes to pre-Hispanic Mexican culture.

“Everything is designed so that whoever is Mexican feels proud to be Mexican, and whoever isn’t is impressed and wants to be Mexican,” says Eli Martinez Bello, co-owner of the bar. The bartender led the beverage program at Pujol, a revered culinary destination, for five years before transitioning to her current role.

Tlecān specializes in mezcal, offering 13 options from small-batch makers across the country who do not export their products outside of Mexico. At the bar, you can order any of the spirits neat, or enjoy them in a number of cocktails that take inspiration from centuries-old, pre-Hispanic drinks like tascalate.

Tascalate is more than 3,000 years old and originates from the southernmost Mexican state of Chiapas. It played a role in the ancient Maya city-state of Palenque, where greeting the king involved bowing, then drinking a full cup of tascalate as a sign of gratitude; leaving behind any liquid was considered disrespectful. Today, the drink is still primarily found in Chiapas.

“It’s a very simple and basic refreshment,” says Bernardo Serna, a partner of the mezcalería, “but that’s exactly why tascalate has lasted so long. Long before refrigeration began, people ground maíz, achiote and cacao into powder and preserved it. They survived winters by consuming this highly nourishing liquid.”

The drink itself is simple, made of pulverized toasted dry maíz (or corn), cacao and achiote (small, red, kernel-like seeds), blended with water—its name comes from the Náhuatl words “tlaxcalli” (tortilla) and “atl” (water). The maíz lends the drink a thick texture and mineral taste, while cacao brings bitter and sweet notes followed by the subtle heat of achiote. Everything is toasted before being ground down into a fine powder. Water is then carefully added to bring the tascalate to life.

At Tlecān, the drink follows a similar basic format. “We could have made these ingredients in-house at Tlecān, but instead we want to support local artisans whenever we can, so we purchase these handmade products in Chiapas,” adds Serna. In Chiapas, depending on the season, the drink is served piping hot or ice-cold and it’s now sometimes made with milk. But at the Mexico City bar, where it takes the form of a sour, it’s always chilled and made with water.

“Tlecān uses the tascalate to pay homage to all maíz drinks such as atole, tejate and champurrado—thick, cereal-like beverages that get their density from one of the oldest food ingredients in Mexican culture: maíz,” says Serna. The bar team found that tascalate’s unique texture was best suited to the sour template, made here with a base of mezcal complemented by egg white, agave nectar and lemon. “We use small-batch suppliers, so it’s possible the mezcal in the drink can change due to availability,” says Serna, “but the cocktail will always use a mezcal that’s earthy and a little acidic to bring out the flavor notes of the tascalate.”

The end result is a brick red cocktail topped off with a thick egg white foam. Despite its bold color, the Tascalate Sour tastes light, bright and earthy. It’s served in a coupe and finished with a dusting of fermented cacao powder.

“We’re working to tell the story of many generations of Mexicans and the history behind some of these traditional beverages,” says Martinez Bello, who serves her drinks alongside a modest food menu of street food staples, like the pambacito, a take on pambazo, a chunky bread roll dipped in salsa and stuffed with chorizo, mashed potatoes and Chihuahua cheese. Other cocktail highlights include the Todas Las Flores, a take on tepache that’s prepared with guanábana (soursop) and lavender; the Pulque Colada, where pulque, a boozy fermented brew made from agave sap and referred to as “the drink of the Gods,” arrives fresh from the Mexican state of Hidalgo and serves as the base; and the Ocelóyotl, which incorporates Veracruz’s traditional carajillo, a sweet coffee drink, in its build.

On Instagram, Tlecān has nearly 25,000 followers, but it follows only four accounts—all cultural institutions. It’s a nod to the bar’s design, which is made to mimic a museum gallery; the Aztec statue replicates one at Mexico’s Museo Nacional de Antropología. It’s the bar’s way of saying, “If you love us, go learn more about us, our culture,” says Serna.

For the bar team, Tlecān is a sacred space to pay tribute to pre-Hispanic traditions through gourmet drinks and dishes that are emblematic of Mexico. It’s an invitation for guests, Mexican and non-Mexican alike, to delve into the extensive history and rich culture of the country.

“I got into mixology to tell stories,” Martinez Bello adds. “Then I realized, there’s so much that’s already happened, things we can’t forget. So rather than inventing new [stories], I made this about going deep into Mexico’s history and culture, and bringing it to people here and now through drinks.”

— Elizabeth Quan Kiu V. helped translate and fact-check this piece. She is a Spanish-language journalist, translator and educator. Born and raised in Mexico City, Elizabeth immigrated to Chicago in the 1990s. She’s fluent in English and resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

[chaoscouncilcreaturecorner]

Water & Beach-Themed Names & Pronouns List

Names:

🤍 Masculine Names:

🐚Caspian - Origin: Caspian Sea

🐳Kai - Origin: Hawaiian - Meaning: "Sea"

🐚Ren - Origin: Diminutive of Rene or Japanese - Meaning: "Water lily; Lotus"

🐳Maxwell - Origin: Scottish - Meaning: "Great steam"

🐚Clyde - Origin: Scottish River Name

🐳Alon - Origin: Hebrew; Filipino Word - Meaning: "Oak tree; Wave"

🐚Solomon - Origin: Christianity; Hebrew - Meaning: "Underwater bridge; Peace"

🐳Earwyn - Origin: English - Meaning: "Friend of the sea"

🐚Salmon - Origin: Hebrew; English; French - Meaning: "Salmon; Peace"

🐳Mortimer - Origin: French - Meaning: "Dead sea; Stagnant sea"

🖤 Feminine Names:

🫧Cordelia - Origin: Latin; Celtic - Meaning: "Heart; Daughter of the sea"

🦑Mira - Origin: Latin, Slavic, Arabic, Sanskrit - Meaning: "Admirable; Peace; Female ruler; Ocean"

🫧Maya - Origin: Greek; Central American Indian empire name; Latinate Variation of May; Spanish, diminutive of Amalia; variation of Maia; Hebrew - Meaning: "Water"

🦑Talia - Origin: Hebrew; Australian Aboriginal - Meaning: "Gentle dew from heaven; By the water"

🫧Tallulah - Origin: Choctaw, Irish - Meaning: "Leaping water, Lady of abundance"

🦑Maren - Origin: Latin - Meaning: "Sea"

🫧Sabrina - Origin: Celtic, Latin name for the River Severn

🦑Marina - Origin: Latin - Meaning: "From the sea"

🫧Guinevere - Origin: Welsh - Meaning: "White shadow; White wave"

🦑Jennifer - Origin: Cornish variation of Welsh Guinevere - Meaning: "White shadow; White wave"

🩶 Neutral/Androgynous Names:

🌊Haf - Origin: Welsh; Icelandic - Meaning: "Summer; Ocean"

🦈Current - Origin: Water current - Meaning: "The motion of the Ocean"

🌊Siren - Origin: Greek Mythology

🦈Tasi - Origin: Chamorro; Christianity - Meaning: "Ocean; Sea"

🌊Dipsi - Origin: Hindu; Bislama - Meaning: "Light; Ocean"

🦈Daria/Darius - Origin: Persian - Meaning: "Sea; Possessing Goodness"

🌊Pelagic - Origin: Greek - Meaning: "Of, Relating to, or living or occuring in the open sea; Oceanic"

🦈Mer - Origin: The Word Mermaid/Merman; Spanish - Meaning: "Ocean; Sea"

🌊Wave - Origin: English - Meaning: "Arched form of water or sound"

🦈Bahari - Origin: Swahili - Meaning: "Sailor; Ocean"

Pronouns:

Nature Themed:

Sea/Foam

Wave/Waves

Moon/Moon

Tide/Tidal

Cur/Current

Co/Coral

Bub/Bubble

Wa/Water

Oce/Ocean

Sea/Sea

La/Lake

Ri/River

Aqua/Aquatic

Coa/Coast

Tide/Pool

Sho/Shore

La/Lagoon

Dead/Zone

Deep/Blue

Hurri/Hurricane

Isla/Island

Nau/Nautical

Ocean/Floor

Sur/Surface

Under/Water

Tsu/Tsunami

Al/Algae

Bac/Bacteria

Kel/Kelp

Sea/Glass

Animal Themed:

Wha/Whale

Shar/Shark

Jell/Jellyfish

Fi/Fish

Sea/Horse

Tur/Turtle

Sea/Seal

Or/Orca

Sea/Dragon [Leafy Seadragon]

Dol/Dolphin

Clown/Fish

Blue/Tang

Ott/Otters

Sea/Lion

Octo/Octopus

Squi/Squid

Wal/Walrus

Lob/Lobster

Spon/Sponge

Be/Beluga

Angel/Fish

Mana/Manatee

Star/Fish

Eel/Eel

Sea/Urchin

Cuttle/Fish

Barra/Barracuda

Man/Manta

Ray/Ray

Croco/Crocodile

Mythology/Legend Themed:

Sea/Serpent

Ocean/Dragon

Si/Siren

Mer/Mermaid [Merman, Merfolk & Merbeing Also Work]

Sing/Singing

So/Song

Lu/Lure

Kra/Kraken

Levi/Leviathan

Loch/Ness

Ap/Apsara

Ka/Kappa

Ni/Nixies

Ca/Calypso

The/Thetis

Ne/Nereids

Oce/Oceanids

Na/Naga

Na/Naiad

Po/Poseidon

Tri/Trident

Tri/Triton

In/Indra

Nep/Neptune

Va/Varuna

Ce/Cetus

Ich/Ichtyo [Ichtyocentaurs]

Sea/Monster

Sel/Selkie

Ma/Makara

Beach & Pool Themed:

Flip/Flop

Mock/Mocktail

Mo/Mojito

Be/Beach

Sta/Stand

Swi/Swim

Ba/Ball

To/Towel

Sun/Sunscreen

Bo/Boat

Beach/Side

Pool/Noodle

Beach/Chair

Bu/Bucket

Palm/Tree

Tree/Tree

Sun/Sun

Sha/Shade

Sha/Shadow

Pool/Pool

San/Sand

Go/Goggles

Sur/Surf

Sun/Sunset

Re/Resort

Salt/Salt

Sand/Sandcastle

Ya/Yacht

Fi/Fishing

Fin/Fins

Emoji Themed:

🐢/🐢s

🐍/🐍s

🐙/🐙s

🦑/🦑s

🪼/🪼s

🦐/🦐s

🦞/🦞s

🦀/🦀s

🐡/🐡s

🐠/🐠s

🐟/🐟s

🐬/🐬s

🐳/🐳s

🐋/🐋s

🦈/🦈s

🦭/🦭s

🐊/🐊s

🌴/🌴s

🐚/🐚s

🪸/🪸s

🍹/🍹s

🦩/🦩s

🛟/🛟s

⚓/⚓s

🪝/🪝s

🏝️/🏝️s

🌅/🌅s

🏖️/��️s

⛱️/⛱️s

🩴/🩴s

🫧/🫧s

🌊/🌊s

🍧/🍧s

🧊/🧊s

🍨/🍨s

🍦/🍦s

🥤/🥤s

🍸/🍸s

🍹/🍹s

🦩/🦩s

🛟/🛟s

⚓/⚓s

🪝/🪝s

🏝️/🏝️s

🌅/🌅s

🪨/🪨s

🌙/🌙s

🌑/🌑s

🌒/🌒s

🌓/🌓s

🌔/🌔s

🌕/🌕s

🌖/🌖s

🌗/🌗s

🌘/🌘s

👡/👡s

🥽/🥽s

🏄/🏄s

🚣/🚣s

🤿/🤿s

🪸These weren't requested, just decided to post some things as well until we start to get requests!

🪼All of the dividers are from: saradika.tumblr.com! Thank you so much for these beautiful dividers! ^^

~ Created Mainly By: 🧨⛓️📻 {{ Wilbur/Alastor }}

[kindlyfeline]

ASK GAME

🥤🧃🍄

thank you angel, i adore you!!! (writer emoji asks)

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

an author has to be @trash-nerd especially their series: demons + dreams (monster spookanis). @xhollowfaerie has many wonderful rookanis pieces (+ silverv if you're into cyberpunk 2077). @tarasmom, @woundedsoul12 + @baar-ur are also 3 other authors i massively admire ☺️ for individual fics - i fooken love this bellario fic: failing and falling. and it may seem random, but my favourite fic of all time is a jason brody/vaas montenegro soulmate au: branded 😘👌 there are simply too many rookanis fics i like, so i can do a separate post about those if anyone is interested !!

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

hmm okay well i don't think anyone knows but i have severe scoliosis. i had spinal corrective surgery on my entire spine when i was 15, so now my spine is fused together and supported by many titanium rods and screws. and yes it sucks hahaha

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

fuck this was so hard hahaha my brain is EMPTY. okay well i massively subscribe to the hc that lucanis has a crush on rook from somewhat early on. OH and he's super touch starved, he just didn't realise it until he got more comfortable in their relationship (maybe post-Veilguard or something). this is especially true with him and maya 🥰

[bluebanisterbby]

You taste like the Fourth of July… Malt liquor on your breath,my,my🇺🇸🥤🍒💋

[angeloftheodd]

Willi and Maya drinking orange soda together 🐝🍊🥤

Maya the Bee - Saban Dub (1990) 💛🖤

[he0524]

🍓🌵

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

I got into writing ff as a young child! My favourite TV show at the time had a canon pairing that I absolutely loved, and before I knew it, I was writing fanfiction for them.

🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

I love editing! Less so for my own work (because then I get sucked into the lovely hole of rewriting sentences and paragraphs), but I love editing for my partner. It makes me feel accomplished, knowing that I put my all into a piece of work (when I edit my own stuff), and bonus: a snippet into WIPs before they're published! ;)

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

I absolutely love @rafiel_ahi (ao3) for her JJ/Emily (Criminal Minds) work. She has such an attention to detail and her imagery that she manages to capture never ceases to amaze me. Other authors that I can't recommend enough are @jazzfordshire (Tumblr/Ao3) for their Supercorp (Supergirl) fics, and last but not least, @englishstrawbie for their Maya/Carina (Station 19) fics. Fun fact, yours (@jmflowers) was the very first work on Ao3 that I read for the Marina pairing, and I absolutely fell in love!

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

I believe there's a rabbit on the moon! (Not really, haha, obvs). Instead of the traditional "man on the moon" trope, I was told as a young child that there was a rabbit on the moon, and when it's a full moon, I like to see that I can see the outline of his ears. He is apparently pounding some fermented beans up there.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

I wholeheartedly believe that Maya is a bottom in their relationship, both in the bedroom and out of the bedroom ;)

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

I have a lovely, incredible partner who supports me in all that I do.

I'm so!close! to getting my postgrad degree! (Although this isn't a "good" thing right now because it's making me so stressed, haha! But I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to keep studying).

I have lovely pets that always make me laugh, no matter how stressed I am (Clementine, Lemon, Fig, and Peach, my ratties, and my little doggie who's been with me since I too was a smol bean).

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Definitely dirty-talk in Italian, haha! Perks of being a smut writer *hides*

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

That I've captured the characters as they are in canon! Something about that compliment makes me so giddy and excited. I appreciate all comments so much through.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Sometimes I hear spicy-ish songs that remind me of Marina, or even love/heartbreak songs that make me internally SOB with the thought of what they went through during Maya's infidelity.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

It's a combination of letters and numbers that are of personal importance to me! :)

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Work that doesn't have the appropriate grammar, or poor spacing. Each character talking starts on a new line! If it's just a whole paragraph of multiple dialogues, my brain cannot handle it and I click away :(

Thank you so, so much for all these questions! I'm about to pop some into your own inbox too :) I had so much fun answering them (and procrastinating my write-up, haha).

[luvvmamaia]

Maiaaa your new theme is so pretty!

maya!! Urs too bae 😼🤲🤲

[miikoos]

my lovely moots and anons <3

i love all of you guys frfr ❤️‍🔥 all of you have a free kiss coupon redeem it in my asks 😈 ps: if you haven't chosen an emoji i chose one for you, lmk if you wanna change it!!

@okkatsudon ; amy 👾

@aftersamu ; leah 🐬

@p-ol ; joce 🥡

@dawnindakota ; dakota♟️

@roriova ; mari <(￣︶￣)>

@mercieder ; mer (best planet) 🎱

@tobibam ; bam 🦢

@deeplyinlovewithriri ; armin 🍂

@quirrrky ; rei ⛩

@izukus-gf ; paige 🌴

@animated-moon ; moon 🌙

@dearmegumii ; maya 🧸

@bokubooo ; reese ❄️

@terushimatwinn ; lyssa 💫

@luvvmamaia ; maia 🧩

@moonxma ; natsume 🍧

@sweetxochaco ; rikka 🪐

@yaoomie ; maya 📔

@love-nabi ; nabi 🌷

@renuqi ; ren 🎧

@shoyotime ; inez ✈️

@imasaikik ; liz 🍬

@solaaresque ; sunny ☀️

@kiiraes ; rae ☂️

@aominology ; audrey 🦋

@musingsofanextrovert ; shyna 🥤

@soukiyo ; rine 🪶

@cosmonettica ; ris 🗼

@honeydrops-co ; serenity 🐝

@belphegxre ; kavya 🦕

@sanmiya ; emily 🎶

@ilykio ; kio 🦚

@hajiluvr ; keishy 🎁

@idiotobservator ; azrael 🐶

@pl4yb0ybunnybitch ; rez 🥀

@kiyunas ; luna 🪄

@saintmonty ; donatello 🖌

@1-900-i-l0v3-you ; estelle 🧯

@polluxminor ; nine 🚒

@kujoulogy ; auri 🌱

@sachirouss / @yimiya ; aru 🪡

@just-a-main-character ; aruna 🐸

@ikyrus ; icarus 🏛

@meirathinks ; meira 🚀

@escapenightmare ; ashlyn 🌻

@anjalis-ennui ; anjali ✨

@gumiresque ; res 🍿

@fandoms-spamdom ; dani ⚰️

@tetsunova ; nova 📓

@skelloski ; jaz 🐉

@f0malhaut ; jay ☎️

charanons:

megumi <3 ; komi (✨ and 📝) ; shenhe 🦋 ; yuuji 🌱 ; kaeya 🧊 ; beidou ⚓️ ; baal 🎐 ; yoimiya 🎆 ; yanfei 📜 ; sucrose 🍃 ; venti 🎶 ; deku 🥦 ; bakugou 💥 ; lisa 🪁 ; diluc 🍷 ; suna 🔋 ; rosaria ✟ ; fischl 🦅 ; eren 🕊 ; yae 🦊 ; ayaka ☃️ ; lumine 🌺 ; kokomi 💧 ; sasha 🥔 ; connie 🤺 ; armin 🐚 ; mikasa ⚔️ ; kenma 🎮

(come back guys :sob:)

anons:

crush anon <33

[lieffieffieli]

逛完maya百貨

以一杯非常甜😅 玫瑰奶茶結束🔚

等下去清邁大學夜市吃晚餐囉🥣

希望bolt不要難叫🚗

#chatramue_brand

#手標奶茶

#起司玫瑰奶茶🥤

#rose_milk_tea_with_cheese

百貨公司小小的不大

但是也是很多人來逛

[beautifulballad]

Maya Hawke Attends the 2021 Guggenheim International Gala

Maya Hawke Attends the 2021 Guggenheim International Gala

La encantadora Maya Hawke en la Gala Internacional Guggenheim en Nueva York. pic.twitter.com/tkeNgT1y89 — Movie Crazy Planet 🎬🍿🥤 (@MovieCrazyP) November 19, 2021 Maya Hawke attended the 2021 Guggenheim International Gala this past Tuesday, November 17 in New York City. The actress looked gorgeous as she rocked a Dior gown for the occasion. Maya has had a pretty busy year working on a variety of…

[luvvmamaia]

Maiaaa I love your theme sm 🫶🏽

maya !! thank you!! and yours is cute too!! I luvv the combinations of green n pink!! It reminds me of mitsuri from kny 🤩 + how are you ??