One newly opened restaurant boasts the largest tequila collection on Earth — and it’s not in Mexico.
Meximodo, which opened in November in Metuchen, New Jersey, claims to have the biggest library of tequila and mezcal in the world.
The eatery serves over 1,000 different types of agave-derived liquor.
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LeMalt Hospitality Group senior vice president TJ Pingitore told Fox News Digital that his team was inspired to break a world record after Metuchen garnered national awards, including the recent 2023 Great American Main Street Award.
The Central New Jersey town was also named the birthplace of the 2023 American Girl Doll of the Year, Kavi Sharma.
Meximodo opened in Metuchen, New Jersey, in November 2023. (Meximodo by LeMalt Hospitality Group/Designs by Celano Group)
“Being on the plaza, [with] the anchor business here about to open … we wanted to do something really special, not just for the community here, but also for the tequila enthusiasts all over the U.S.,” said Pingitore.
“And we decided to break the world record for the most tequila [and] mezcal that’s pourable by law in the entire world.”
Said Mayor Jonathan Busch to Fox News Digital of the restaurant, “The opening of Meximodo is another exciting investment in what has become one of the culinary capitals of Central Jersey. We are so excited to welcome Meximodo to our award-winning downtown.”
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Customers can walk into the Metuchen restaurant and find a tequila suited to their flavor profile.
The agave liquors can taste spicy or smoky, Pingitore said.
Customers can walk into Meximodo in Central New Jersey and find an agave liquor suited to their particular flavor profile. (Meximodo by LeMalt Hospitality Group/Designs by Celano Group)
“When you break down the tequila library, you’re looking at flavor profiles like smoky [and] mild,” he said.
“You’re looking at whether it’s a tequila, a mezcal or another kind of derivative of that in the agave spirit world.”
“Our bartenders are all trained in suggesting the flavor profile out there,” he also said. “There’s a good 20 or 25 [liquors] that are on the spicier end or have a really jalapeño, habanero type of kick. There’s [tequilas] that you know — and then some small batch distillates that you don’t. And those are just as interesting, too, so we invite everybody to come in and discover.”
Among the 1,000-plus tequila and mescal bottles in Meximodo’s library, Pingitore said his favorites are El Tesoro and Tequila Ocho.
He discovered those two spirits over the last three months, he said.
The senior executive told Fox News Digital that neither of Meximodo’s two competitors for the world record are in Mexico.
The two establishments are located in Las Vegas and London.
The world record had been “right around 600 unique bottles, and we have over 1,000 bottles,” Pingitore said. “So we’ve shattered that record.”
“The pollo con mole is amazing. It’s our chicken.”
Meximodo also boasts an extensive menu with foods developed from the team’s visits to various Mexican villages.
Many of the tequilas pair well with the menu’s dishes.
Meximodo founder Saurabh Abrol (far left) and team members in Mexico. (Meximodo by LeMalt Hospitality Group/Designs by Celano Group)
“The pollo con mole is amazing. It’s our chicken. The mole appears very, very well with kind of our milder, some of our milder flavor profile skills that might have a little smoke to them really goes well,” Pingitore said.
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“And then you have our barbacoa — which is delicious, served two different ways.”
One of the most popular dishes at Meximodo is pollo con mole, which pairs well with tequila, said Pingitore. (Meximodo by LeMalt Hospitality Group/Designs by Celano Group)
“Either way you get it, whether it’s in a taco or it’s in the main dish, you can get it with a more smoky tequila,” he added.
“We’d say something on the smokier [side] or even a mezcal.”
The restaurant’s unique tequila library has been drawing attention from local media, even earning it the title of “most colorful new restaurant” by NJ.com.
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“My new favorite Mexican spot!” one reviewer wrote on Google. “Everything is beautifully decorated from the minute you walk in, and we could tell there was a lot of love put into this place.”
Said the same reviewer, “I’m usually not a fan of guacamole, but the Pineapple-Mango Guacamole here is fantastic, and we especially enjoyed the street-style corn and the creative cocktails. Will definitely be returning to try the rest of the menu!”
Members of the Meximodo team traveled to Mexico as they were developing the restaurant’s menu. (Meximodo by LeMalt Hospitality Group/Designs by Celano Group)
For drinkers who resolved to consume less alcohol in 2024, Pingitore said that Meximodo was “the best place to fail” their New Year’s resolutions.
“If you have to fail a resolution in January, we hope that Meximodo is the place that you do it,” he concluded.
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