London’s community food market Mercato Metropolitano is bringing the vibrant spirit of Latin America to Elephant & Castle this summer with the launch of Cantina Libre, a dedicated pop-up that will transform the market’s main bar from now until 31st August.

At the heart of the takeover is Sagrado, the world’s first sparkling agave cerveza and cider alternative. Inspired by pulque, Mexico’s ancient fermented agave drink, Sagrado is a lightly sparkling, cider-style beverage crafted from 100% agave, offering market-goers the chance to discover an entirely new drinks category.

Cantina Libre will pour a carefully curated range of agave spirits and drinks all summer long, featuring Sagrado alongside La Reina Mezcal and Los Locos Tequila. Designed to make the world of agave more accessible, the pop-up invites visitors to explore its rich flavours and heritage in a lively, sociable setting.

NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY: FRIDAY, 24TH JULY

The pop-up’s headline event lands on National Tequila Day, Friday 24th July, with an evening dedicated to Mexico’s most celebrated spirit.

From 6pm, visitors can take part in an immersive agave masterclass, sampling tequila, mezcal and agave-based serves while discovering the remarkable story of the agave plant, from its ancient cultural significance to its evolution into the tequila, mezcal and innovative agave drinks of today.

The experience includes a guided journey through the history and heritage of agave, an exclusive tasting of traditional pulque, the fermented agave drink that predates both tequila and mezcal by centuries, signature cocktails featuring Los Locos Tequila, La Reina Mezcal and Sagrado Sparkling Agave and exclusive National Tequila Day drinks specials

Tastings will be paired with Latin American-inspired bites, created by Mercato Metropolitano’s food traders exclusively for the event. As the evening unfolds, a live mariachi band will provide the soundtrack before a DJ takes over, keeping the celebrations going late into the night