Cakumba x Sin Gusano: London Cacao and Mezcal Tasting at Sorbito

Cakumba founders Izzy and Luis invite Londoners to an intimate evening of Mexican cacao and Sin Gusano mezcal at Sorbito, 178 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7UY. The event brings the earthy richness of Chiapas cacao and the smoky agave of mezcal into a curated tasting that reads like a short course in terroir and tradition. Arrive any time after Sorbito opens at 5pm; pairings begin at 7pm and the bar stays open until 10pm for lingering conversation.

The tasting lays out a small sequence of pairings that highlight contrasts: high-acid single-origin cacao powders from a Chiapas cooperative, vegetal and floral notes, and several expressions of Sin Gusano mezcal. What feels like a bar counter transforms into a micro-lab of flavor—bitterness, smoke, saline mineral notes, and cacao’s bright fruitiness rendered through powder and paste. The Chiapas beans come from humid highland groves where volcanic soils and shade-grown conditions shape fermentation, producing uncommon citrus and berry tones that stand up to mezcal’s charred agave backbone.

This is as much about people as palate. Cakumba founders Izzy and Luis have imported cacao to spotlight producers in Chiapas; their tasting is both a sensory tour and a platform for direct trade. Sin Gusano’s mezcal adds cultural context: a Mexican spirit with regional methods, often roasted in earthen pits and distilled in small batches. Together they trace a line from farm to glass, showing how specific processing choices—fermentation time, roast level, agave variety—tilt a pairing from harmonious to electric.

The setting is urban and unfussy: Sorbito’s compact tasting room at Stoke Newington Road keeps the focus on flavor. Tickets are limited, and the evening includes opportunities to buy favorite cacao powders and mezcal bottles at a special discount. Plan for two hours; this is a standing and seated experience with close-up samples rather than a full dinner.

Beyond tasting, the evening works as an education: Izzy and Luis guide conversation about farmers, fermentation, and fair pricing. Expect tiny demonstration samples, palate-cleansing breads, and printed tasting notes that explain origin, roast, and suggested pairings. The producers in Chiapas practice agroforestry, and the event highlights traceability and small-batch distillation in Oaxaca. For visitors, Sorbito’s late hours make it easy to turn a tasting into a neighborhood evening—grab a takeaway bottle, chat with the makers, and support a small business ecosystem that connects London's bar counter to rural Mexican and Chiapas farms. Reservations are strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.