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Lupe’s Cerveceria Brings Mexicana Discotheque And A Serious Mezcal Backbar To The CBD

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Within minutes of descending the steps into the candlelit darkness of Lupe’s Cerveceria, a shot of tequila and a housemade sangrita chaser of tomato, pomegranate, chili and lime is sliding across the bar to me.

“I think giving someone a neat tequila to start is probably good, similar to what you would get in a fine dining restaurant, you might get an amuse bouche, something to give you an idea of what we’re about,” says Phil Weber. 

It sets the tone for the rest of the experience. And make no mistake, dining at a Sesh Mafia venue is all about the experience. From the neon red signs screaming from the walls to the colourful garlands of papel picado flags hung from the ceiling to the many framed pictures lining the booths, it's a space designed to evoke Mexicana nostalgia. 

“It’s Benny’s ode to Mexico, to the places he likes,” says Phil. 

That’s Benny Tua, the visionary behind the Sesh Mafia venues, who honed the idea for Lupe’s over several trips to Mexico, visiting the kind of no-name, back alley venues known to locals, colourful bars with bottles of the best mezcal but no labels because it's all homemade. The result is Lupe’s, a discotheque-meets-taqueria ode to the faded cantinas of Guadalajara, Jalisco and Santiago de Tequila.

Of course, the Sesh Mafia team is bigger than Benny. There’s maestros of flavour, Chase Weber and Leigh Power, and of course Phil. Together they’ve reinvigorated the Perth dining scene in recent years with venues like Shui, Papi Katsu, and most recently Margot’s Bar. 

A Sesh Mafia venue is a multi-sensory experience, and Lupe’s is no exception. From the carefully crafted playlist of poppy Latin American beats, chosen by Phil himself, to the hidden disco ball bathroom experience waiting to thrill those in the know. Three years in the making, the team set out to create a bar that was chaotic in the best way with Lupe’s. 

With several rounds of shots down, Phil walks us through the other libations on offer. 

“From here we can talk about the cocktails, if guests are more spirit inclined we can talk about the rest of the backbar, some of the raicillas and the mezcals."

And the backbar is worth talking about, with more than fifty tequilas, mezcals and raicillas sitting on the shelves. There’s also wine and beer, which you can turn into a michelada with the addition of tomato and lime juice. 

It’s the cocktail  list that is Phil’s real passion project though, a curated collection of classics given a Sesh Mafia twist. For Lupe’s, that means being tequila based. Think a blanco-based spritz or a mezcal colada. There’s nods to Mexican flavours, but the idea was a list that was light and vibrant, and could hold its own next to spice and heat, explains Phil. 

There’s a mandarin margarita, a blend of mandarin, aperol, blanco, lime and agave with a black salt rim.

“It’s refreshing, but still goes a long way in flavour,” describes Phil. 

There’s also an incredible guava mango paloma, finished with blanco, lime and fizz. An alcoholic slushie machine is in the works, possibly as soon as next week, with Phil nodding to a frozen passionfruit and chilli concoction as the likely first slush on tap. It's bright and punchy flavours that can compliment the food offerings.

The menu might not be traditional Mexican, but does steer authentic in a contemporary way. The tacos, for example, come in flour rather than corn-based tortillas, and accompanied by housemade salsa roja and salsa verde. Choose from barbacoa lamb, slow cooked pork shoulder, beef short rib and a mango habernero glazed oyster mushroom, all begging to be smothered in the carefully bottled housemade hot sauce adorning each table (the same condiment you’ll find waiting to top plates of oysters at Margot’s). 

“The hot sauces we make in-house are really amazing. I think I've gone through a few bottles already in a few days,” interjects Phil. 

In the business end of Perth’s CBD, there’s a few suits sitting at tables on a Friday night enjoying an end of week drink. But Lupe’s is the kind of space that can be a lot of things to a lot of people. 

“If someone wants to come in and have that intimate dining experience, they can sit in a booth and close the curtains. If you want to boogie and have some tequila shots, you can do that as well,” explains Phil.

THE DETAILS

What: Lupe's Cerveceria
Where: Brookfield Place, 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth
When: Open 4pm to late, Wednesday to Saturday
For more details, click here

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