Haute Living Goes Mezcal Tasting With Aaron Paul (And Bryan Cranston Makes A Surprise Appearance)

Photo Credit: Brian Bowen Smith

Three-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul is one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.For five seasons, Paul portrayed the beloved ‘Jesse Pinkman’ opposite Bryan Cranston in AMC’s critically acclaimed Emmy Award winning and Golden Globe Award winning series Breaking Bad. In addition to his three Emmy wins for Best Supporting Actor, for a total of five nominations for five seasons, Paul also received a Golden Globe Award nomination. He reprised this iconic role in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which premiered on Netflix on October 11, 2019.

Paul completed a three-season run on the Hulu original series The Path, and has served as an Executive Producer of the Netflix hit animated series Bojack Horseman, which recently premiered it’s sixth and final season on Netflix. Most recently, he starred in the Apple TV +’s limited series, Truth Be Told and in the third season of HBO’s Westworld, which premiered on March 15, 2020. Paul will reprise his role as “Caleb” in the fourth season which will start filming this year.

Additionally, his film credits include Mission: Impossible III alongside Tom Cruise; the blockbuster Need for Speed for director Scott Waugh; the film adaptation of Nick Hornsby’s novel A Long Way Down; Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods & Kings; Triple 9; and Central Intelligence opposite Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. His most recent projects includeAmerican Woman for director Jake Scott and The Parts You Lose for director Chris Cantwell. Upcoming, Paul will star in director Riley Sterns’ sci-fi thriller Dual alongside Karen Gillian and Jesse Eisenberg. The film is slated to be released this year.

In celebration of his success with Dos Hombres (and to celebrate his Haute Living cover, which came out before the pandemic started), HL’s Seth Semilof and Laura Schreffler and Aston Martin Residences went Mezcal tasting with Aaron, and learned about his brand in the process. Plus, his Breaking Bad co-star and Dos Hombres co-founder Bryan Cranston joined in the fun, making a surprise appearance to dish on their friendship and on Dos Hombres.

AARON SPILLS ALL ABOUT MEZCAL, HOW DOS HOMBRES CAME TO BE AND WHAT HE LOVES ABOUT HIS BEST FRIEND, CO-STAR AND CO-FOUNDER BRYAN CRANSTON

Photo Credit: Brian Bowen Smith

On Dos Hombres: “From pilot to the finale, Bryan and I shot Breaking Bad out in Albuquerque, New Mexico for seven years. He quickly became one of my best friends. I say this all the time — he’s the hardest worker in the room, but also the most immature person in the room. I say that in the most loving, heartfelt way… When we were done shooting, it was hard to say goodbye but it was hard to say goodbye. A few years after shooting, Bryan and I were having sushi in New York and Bryan pitches to me, ‘Do you think it’s too soon to share the screen together? Maybe a limited series or a play.’ I thought it was a little too early… but said what about a different kind of business? He say, ‘What kind of business?’ I said, ‘What do you think about the booze business?’ and he laughed at me. I said, ‘No, I’m being serious… What about Mezcal?’

What his pandemic life looks like: “What a year this has been for all of us, my god…. i know this pandemic has hit us all in a big way. i’m a guy who loves to travel who loves to be around people who loves to host, who loves to be hosted. I love to socialize and raise a glass and drink and this year pumped the brakes on all of that… I’m drinking a lot more at home, so there’s that. It’s ok! This past year, the silver lining for me, my daughter just turned three a week and a half ago. To be able to spend so much quality time with her has been such a blessing. I’m not really working. Most of my work is for DH. I work on this every single day with Bryan and the team. I did a little indie film. The first time I traveled during all of this madness, the first time I got on a plane, was actually from L.A. to Finland and shot a movie with my buddy Riley Sterns, Dual... It’s a wild, trippy, sci-fi drama that has a lot of humor involved in it. I’m just hanging out in L.A. I’m getting some baby chickens for my baby girl next month, six little chicks. We just built a chicken coop in the back. We’re shopping around for some pygmy goats. We’re slowly turning this place into a farm.”

On cars: “I grew up just loving cars. My uncle had a 67 Mustang that every time I went over, he’d let me play around inside of his car.One time he surprised me with a model of a 1965 Shelby Cobra. Blue with the white racing stripe down the center of it, which quickly became my favorite car. I always wanted one growing up. When I got out into the real world, I saw how much those cars cost; they can reach around a million bucks. I ended up buying a replica and it’s fantastic. So I’ve got a ’65 Shelby replica and a ’69 Torino, which I’ve got to say is my baby.”

MAKE AARON’S COCKTAILS AT HOME… AND HELP HIM COME UP WITH A NAME FOR HIS BASIL LIBATION!

Photo Credit: Dos Hombres

Oaxacan Old-fashioned
Dos Hombres
Luxardo cherries
Simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar)
Aromatic bitters
Orange peel

Basil Cocktail
2 ounces of Dos Hombres
3/4 ounce grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
6 basil leaves
1 slice of jalapeño

WATCH OUR DOS HOMBRES TASTING HERE