“Taking a trip down memory lane” is a fluttery idiom used to describe reminiscing about experiences past, typically happy ones. But reexamining those memories can also conjure up a deep regret of overlooking the best parts of what was right in front of you. It’s through this examination that Jacob Trevino, owner of La Ofrenda (Gorilla Cinema Presents’ newest concept bar), discovered a way to honor his own past — by bringing it to the present.
La Ofrenda, Spanish for “offering,” provides an intimate glimpse into Trevino’s childhood, spent 20 miles north of the Mexican border in Harlingen, Texas. The dimly lit and cinematic tequila establishment near Findlay Market has a colorful altar at its center, inviting guests to experience Mexican heritage while celebrating their own story and where they came from.
La Ofrenda serves unique margaritas — like the Zócalo Cafe, made with Cantera Negra Coffee tequila, cold-pressed coffee and orange-infused condensed milk, and the Grapefruit Basil, which incorporates a grapefruit foam through a molecular technique — but don’t chalk it up as a “margarita bar” and don’t call it a “Day of the Dead” bar either. It cheapens the authenticity and makes a kitschy spectacle of the real story behind the bar’s culture.
The carefully curated drink selection has 130 varieties of tequila, mezcal and sotol. And if you’re looking for beer, bourbon or other liquor, you won’t find them here.
“I have a tequila bar,” Trevino says. “Bars don’t have to be for everybody. We celebrate the spirit of tequila and selling anything else can water down the experience.”
Most people have a “tequila story” and, usually, it ends badly. Typically, tequila is tied to shots that lead to forgetful nights and waking up on your neighbor’s lawn wondering where your phone went. La Ofrenda, however, encourages a different approach.
“Tequila has a lot of nuances and a lot of characteristics,” Trevino says. “All of our pours are 2 ounces, because tequila is meant to be sipped and savored — we treat the spirit with respect.”
The bar is influenced by The Golden Age of Mexican cinema (1933-1964) reaching the height of production and economic success during WWII. Trevino remembers these black-and-white films playing at his grandparents’ house, where he spent time during his summers. But as these movies played in the background of his life, he was dreaming of being elsewhere — a bigger city with more opportunity. Something he now regrets.
“Every creator is influenced by childhood, but for me, it was difficult to look back on,” he says. “It’s hard to judge a 10-year-old because you don’t understand at the time. I hate my younger self for ignoring my culture because, back then, I didn’t think it was relevant.”
It’s a common story for many first-generation Americans living with one foot in the U.S. and the other rooted in their own family’s heritage — a longing to live the American dream while also feeling the pull of where their family originates from.
Trevino recalls asking himself: “Am I Mexican enough (to open this bar)? Am I honoring my grandparents in the right way?”
Before opening La Ofrenda, Trevino and his team took a road trip from Houston to San Antonio to see and gather inspiration.
“It’s hard to tell my story, so I wanted to show,” Trevino says. “I wanted (the staff) to put their hands on something that didn’t come from Amazon. I wanted them to see places important to me.”
The team ventured to flea markets and specialty stores to source the bar’s interior decor; from the tile floor to the mosaiced mirrors and movie-poster-lined-walls, every detail is from Mexico and Texas and connects the guest to the experience.
The most noticeable feature is the aforementioned white altar, illuminated by neon graphics from a state-of-the-art projection system. It’s adorned with pictures of relatives, flowers and candles similar to what you’d find in Mexico on Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). During this time, family members honor those that have passed with ofrendas (offerings). Patrons are even encouraged to bring their own photos of family members or any offerings they’d like to honor their past.
Trevino, however, doesn’t want the bar to be a memorial.
“It’s a bar — it should be fun,” he says.
The altar is intended to be joyous; to awaken memories, while making new ones. If anything, the La Ofrenda is a celebration of life, a reminder that we can’t rewrite our past, but we can honor it by offering our own story.
La Ofrenda, 30 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine, laofrendatequila.com
This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2020.