It’s that time of year when the light lingers a little later yet the twilight often brings a cool breeze. Long summer evenings offer the perfect weather for coming together, whether for family meals or friend-filled barbecues. These are the opportunities for warmth, joy, and delicious food.
Warm your gatherings even more with these vibrant offerings from Mexico, which can not only brighten the scene with rich colors, but deliver some history and texture to nights well spent.
Here are four ways to spice up your get togethers:
Habanero Hot Sauce Trio & Servilleta
It is thought that the Aztecs created hot sauce sometime around 7000 BC, mixing chili peppers with water, and spreading bits of it on corn tortillas.
These days hot sauce can offer a multitude of ways to spice up any meal, bringing a little heat to celebrations. This trio by Tierra Brava features three recipes ranging from “sweet and spicy” to “smokin’ hot,” all carefully blended in small batches from family recipes.
The Habanero Hot Sauce Trio set comes with a Mexican servilleta napkin, to add a little flair.
Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate Gift Set
Did you know hot chocolate originated in Mexico? The sweet, comforting drink you might associate with snowy afternoons and ski lodges actually came about in 500 BC, when the Mayans mixed cacao with spices including cinnamon, chili pepper and vanilla using a molinillo—a special blending wand designed to help froth the liquid.
Today, Mexican hot chocolate makes for a soothing cup of connection, and a wonderful, extra-warm way to cap an evening under the stars.
This Mexican Hot Chocolate set contains everything you need to create the perfect cup of Mexican hot chocolate, including a red clay jug and authentic molinillo whisk made from alder wood, to mix the perfect blend. All items in the kit are handmade by artisans in Mexico, adding a communal texture to your sips that can take you back in time.
Mexican Handloomed Blanket
Summer evenings can get cool, and there’s no better way to add warmth than with a handloomed Mexican blanket.
Originally called ‘serapes,’ and created to identify one with a region or family status, these blankets feature vibrant colors that can warm the soul.
Wrap a blanket around your shoulders, offer one to your guests, or drape blankets of different colors on the backs of chairs, to brighten the table and warm the mood.
Mexican Loomed Hammock
How does this sound? Relax in a hammock in between sips under the stars. And these hammocks are as comfortable as they are vibrant.
Hammocks were also once part of Mayan culture, and date back as early as 2000 BC. Today they can not just take you back in time, but also help you simply slow it down.
These Mexican loomed hammocks are sustainably and carefully made from regenerated cotton in a village outside of Oaxaca. They feature fringe for a festive appearance, along with sturdy clips to keep your evening and post-prandial rest carefree.
