Bowl of ‘Zole Brooklyn 2026: Event Recap

We put on another amazing Bowl of ‘Zole in Brooklyn for 2026, and what a night it was.

More than 30 of New York’s top chefs and kitchens set up side by side, each cooking their own take on pozole. Red, green, white. Pork, chicken, seafood, short rib, vegetarian. Nineteen spirit brands poured more than 300 mezcals, tequilas, sotols and raicillas, picked by Arik Torren of Lot001 Brands. Bowl of ‘Zole is a room full of top chefs who respect each other, feeding a room full of people who came hungry and thirsty, and everybody left a little warmer than they arrived.

On Thursday, October 22, the second floor of Building 5 at Industry City filled with steam, dried chiles, music and a lot of very happy people. If you missed it, here is what you missed.

A room full of pozole

Your all-inclusive ticket gets you the whole room. Wander from table to table in any order you like, a cup of pozole in one hand and a taste of mezcal, sotol or tequila in the other, and go back for as many as you want. Somewhere around the fourth bowl you start to notice just how many ways one dish can be loved. Covacha brought both a verde and a rojo. Ivy Stark and the MEXology team served a red posole with short ribs. Casa Enrique came back “one more time” and called it a true highlight of their year. And Sabor A Mexico II said it best: “We came. We pozole-d. We conquered.”

One of our favorite stories from the night: @will.work.for.food brought their mom to her very first Bowl of ‘Zole, even though she doesn’t drink or eat anything spicy. See how her night went below.

Another Amazing Spirits Lineup for 2026

Half the fun happens between bowls. This year’s tables ran from bright, clean tequilas to deep, smoky mezcals and grassy desert sotol, and the folks pouring were glad to tell you exactly where each bottle came from and who made it. A sip, a spoonful, and repeat.

250 pounds of pozole for neighbors in need

Every chef at Bowl of ‘Zole cooks extra, and every year that extra goes to City Harvest. This year it came to 250 pounds of pozole, delivered by City Harvest’s driver straight to New Hope Family Center in Brooklyn for New Yorkers who need a hot meal. Seven years into this partnership, it is still the part of the night that matters most to us. Thank you to Danny Mena, a member of City Harvest’s Food Council, for helping make it happen.

Thank you to everyone who cooked

These are the kitchens that made the night. Go visit them, order something wonderful, and tell them you loved their bowl.

• Alma (almabk.com)
• Barbaco Tio, Dana Morales (@barbacotio_)
• Casa Enrique, Cosme Aguilar (@casaenrique, @chefcosme)
• Covacha and El Mitote, Lili Resendiz and Maria Flores (@covachany, @elmitoteny)
• de Mole, Ramiro Mendez (@demole_sunnyside)
• Dolores, Emir Dupeyron (@dolores.bk)
• Don Perea, Jesus Perea (don-perea.com)
• El Vez, Luis Jimenez (@elveznyc)
• For All Things Good, Matt Diaz and Carlos Macias (@forallthingsgoodbk)
• Frijoleros, Fabiola Juarez (@frijolerosbk)
• Hellbender, Yara Herrera (@hellbendernyc, @yaraherrerayara)
• Jajaja Mexicana, Jaime Bravo (@jajajamexicana)
• Javier Barbacoa, Javier Gomez (javierbarbacoa.com)
• La Contenta Oeste, Luis Arce Mota (@lacontentaoeste)
• La Newyorkina and Mijo, Fany Gerson (@mijo_nyc, lanewyorkina.com)
• La Superior, Felipe Mendez (@lasuperiornyc)
• Marcela Cocina Mexicana, Tomas De La O (@marcelacocinamexa)
• Maya, Julian Bovasso (eatmaya.com)
• Mayahuel, Ivan Vazquez (@mayahuel_astoria)
• Mesa Coyoacan, Ivan Garcia (@mesacoyoacannyc, @ivangarciachef)
• MEXology, Ivy Stark (@mexologynyc, @ivystark)
• Oxomoco, Maria Barriga and Justin Bazdarich (@_oxomoco_)
• Panzon, Nicole Onisik (@panzonbk)
• Puerto Vallarta (@puertovallartausa)
• Rinconcito Familiar, Denis Ibarra (@rinconcito_familiar_rest)
• Sabor A Mexico II, Carmen Escamilla (@saboramexico2)
• Santa Fe BK (@santafebk)
• Sobre Masa, Zack Wangeman (@sobremasanyc)
• Toloache, Julian Medina (@toloachenyc)
• Ursula, Eric See (ursulabk.com)
• Vallarta Tropical, Alex Valencia (@vallartanyc)

Thank you to everyone who poured

Mezcal Vago, Tequila Ocho, Don Fulano, Sotol Parejo, Tequila Fortaleza, Dos Pasiones, Cardenxe Sotol, Mezcal de Leyendas, Mi Casa, Cruz del Fuego, Flor Del Desierto, Los Siete Misterios, Amatitena, Cazcanes, Arette, Volans, Ensueño, Malasanta and Alma Del Jaguar.

And to the people behind it

Bowl of ‘Zole is presented by Jimmy Carbone of Food Karma Projects (@jimmypotsandpans), chef Danny Mena (@dannyhecho) and Arik Torren of Lot001 Brands (@ariktorren). Thank you to our partners Tamoa, Creekstone Farms, IGL logistics and Industry City, to City Harvest, and to photographer Mariana Pelaez.

And thank you to everyone who posted their night. The photos on this page are theirs: @will.work.for.food, @sindacait, @ramblingspirits.photos, @yigaas47, @flavorsof_ny, @peanut186, @tequila_with_david and @marcelo_c_baez. Tag @bowlofzole and #bowlofzole and we will keep finding you.

Come with us in 2027

If this looks like your kind of night, come find us next year. Pull up a cup, bring a friend, and come hungry and thirsty:

• Boston: February 6, 2027
• Denver: March 25, 2027
• Brooklyn: date coming soon

Tickets and details go up at bowlofzole.com. Follow @bowlofzole so you hear first.