What to Wear and Drink: Your Guide to Holiday Hosting
The holiday season brings people together like no other time of year, and we wanted to capture the essence of celebration and connection by asking two sister-founded brands—Cadena Collective and Mocel Mezcal Artesanal—to share their holiday hosting tips. Alejandra and Mabel Aguirre of Cadena, and Rosalinda and Elizabeth Mendoza of Mocel, both share a passion for heritage and bringing loved ones together with style and meaningful traditions.
From beautiful slow fashion designs to tamales and mezcal pairings, these founders invite us to explore the heart of their holiday gatherings.
CADENA COLLECTIVE
Alejandra and Mabel Aguirre, Founders of Cadena Collective
Cadena Collective, founded by sisters Alejandra and Mabel Aguirre, is an online marketplace dedicated to artisanal goods and luxury Latin American designs. What began as a way to support a friend’s handmade designs quickly blossomed into something much larger. "Cadena Collective was born with a clear purpose: to be a vessel," they explain. With a focus on bridging the gap for small businesses, Cadena Collective serves as a platform to empower and elevate more brands along the way.
Do you have any favorite holiday memories that inspire Cadena Collective’s hosting style?
Our fondest memories are of experiencing Posadas with our very large family. When we moved to the U.S., the tradition of singing in posadas changed. Instead of going from house to house, we orchestrated an entire production in a single home. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone participated, warming up with cups of ponche. As we waited for midnight, we ate all the delicious food we could find.
My best style advice for the holidays…
Go all out! It’s a time to be extra and take risks because we know the saying, “antes muerta que sencilla,” meaning death before being basic. With such a rich culture, we encourage putting some effort into your outfit because looking good makes you feel good. Whether you’re styling a comfortable outfit, matching pajamas or going all out in a fancy outfit - you can be intentional about the designs you wear.
It’s not a holiday party without this dish…
Pozole!
What drinks are you serving?
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without ponche con piquete! The aroma alone is both soothing and deeply nostalgic. The guava adds a beautiful sweetness, and the sugar cane does double duty as a stir stick, soaking up all the delicious flavors.
Your go-to holiday pairing with mezcal…
An orange slice with a little bit of salt or tajin. We prefer drinking our mezcal post dinner as a digestif and adding the orange slice with sea salt to bring out the sweetness.
This song is a must in our holiday playlist…
Any cumbia sonidera to get the party started! After a heavy meal and plenty of drinking we need to get the body moving to keep the party going.
I feel ready to host when I have…
A clean house clean, the tamales are on the stove, the pozole is cooking and my outfit is ready to go!
This is what I love most about holiday hosting…
Being surrounded by family and friends, hearing their laughter bounce off the walls, and making new core memories together. Now that we’re older we get to have intentional conversations and suddenly our older family members feel more like friends rather than elders. It’s a time to reminisce, learn lessons and share special moments.
If you want to add more magic to your celebrations, check out some of our favorite brands to help host your next celebration!
Visit cadenacollective.com to learn more about the beautiful designs curated by the Aguirre sisters.
MOCEL MEZCAL
Elizabeth and Rosalinda Mendoza, Founders of Mocel Mezcal Artesanal
Founded by sisters, Elizabeth and Rosalinda Mendoza, Mocel Mezcal Artesanal makes small-batch mezcales from Michoacán, Mexico, where their family is from. Driven by a mission to help establish a mezcal culture in the U.S. that honors its rich history and the people behind it, Mocel is proud to be one of the few family-owned mezcales distributed in the U.S. Mocel has already earned recognition, winning prestigious Double Gold Medals at the renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Do you have any favorite holiday memories that inspire Mocel’s hosting style?
Growing up, whenever you arrived at a family gathering you had to “saludar” by going around and introducing yourself to every single person at the party. That tradition of connection has always stayed with us, and it’s something we bring to every Mocel event. We want our guests not only to experience the incredible history of mezcal but also to form meaningful connections with each other. By the end of a Mocel event, you’ll leave with, both, a deeper appreciation for mezcal and a genuine connection to someone new.
My best style advice for the holidays…
Lots of color and classic silhouettes - this keeps it festive and classy! Super excited to wear our Granada Hoops by Cadena Collective.
It’s not a holiday party without this dish…
Tamales and homemade apple pie (we grew up in rural Washington with lots of apple orchards)!
What drinks are you serving?
Mezcal is a must. Mocel’s Cupreata mezcal served neat is one of our favorites because it pairs well with most dishes, and when you drink it, you feel warm and cozy. For a cocktail, mezcal and amaro shaken in ice, strained and served with an orange peel garnish makes for a wonderful winter drink. The key is to keep the cocktail simple - let the mezcal shine and make sure you don’t get stuck in the kitchen making cocktails all night and miss out on spending time with family and friends.
Your go-to holiday pairing with mezcal…
Birria (braised beef or goat in chile sauce). The rich and smokey bold flavors of the birria pairs beautifully with mezcal. For grazing, a festive charcuterie board with brie, cotija, or goat cheese also compliments Mocel’s small-batch mezcales.
This song is a must in our holiday playlist…
Any song by Oro Solido. Check out this Mocel x Cadena spotify music playlist to help set a good vibe for your next holiday gathering.
I feel ready to host when I have…
A festive outfit, a line up of Mexican dishes (tamales y birria) and a Mocel bottle ready to drink. And, of course, some music in the background to set the vibe.
This is what I love most about holiday hosting…
Reconnecting with friends and family, and teaching the little nieces and nephews how to dance!
Visit mocelmezcal.com to learn more about Michoacán mezcales and to get food pairing ideas.