TequilaConnection Updates

Frida Kahlo Tequila Dinner at Old Town Mexican Cafe 19 Feb 2014

Along with friends, I attended a tequila pairing dinner at the Old Town Mexican Café (OTMC) in San Diego, CA.  The 4-course dinner featured ultra-premium Frida Kahlo Tequila. As we entered we were greeted by Glen Guerin of OTMC and served a refreshing margarita to get us in the mood for what was to come.  Glen introduced Dave Willet of Dorado-Pizzorni & Sons (Importers of Frida Kahlo Tequila).  Dave explained some of the production techniques used to develop their wonderful tequila at El Eden Distillery located in Arandas, Jalisco. Mature agave piñas harvested from the highland region of Jesus Maria are slowly baked in brick ovens. The cooked agave are crushed and the resulting juice and fibers are fermented naturally (no additives, 100 % agave).  Distillation is performed using copper pot stills and two types of barrels are used during the aging process (new American oak barrels and used whiskey barrels).

The first course, a tasty meat-filled empanada covered with a spicy sauce, paired nicely with Frida Kahlo’s Blanco. The healthy portion of tequila, served in a brandy-snifter glass, had a strong presence of agave flavor. It had a briny character that reminded me a bit of green olives.  Very pleasant indeed. Pam, sitting next to me, remarked how it would make a great dirty martini. Pam’s husband Phil, a member of Tequila Connection’s tasting team, stated the Blanco had a vegetal flavor (a hint of celery) and was very smooth.

The Reposado, aged 364 days, was paired with a stuffed avocado entrée. Topping the avocado was a black bean, roasted corn and Mexican cheese mixture garnished with slivered tortilla chips.  A nice match for the Reposado which brought forth the briny agave flavor from the Blanco, followed by spice notes, oak and slightly peppery finish. Very enjoyable.

The main course was a large plate of tender slow-braised beef served in a banana leaf along side some rice, beans and two types of salsa.  The delicious Añejo, aged over 3 years, complimented this dish nicely.  Vanilla, spice and caramel notes of the tequila danced with the spicy flavors of the entrée making for a very enjoyable experience.

Glen poured a 2nd helping of the Añejo to those of us that were ready for it. A sweet dish of strawberries and vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup sprinkled with nuts followed along with a final cocktail featuring Frida Kahlo tequila and pomegranate juice. I never did get to that final cocktail as I fell behind trying to identify the wonderful flavors of the tequilas and food. Our compliments to Frida Kahlo Tequila and the chef at Old Town Mexican Café. If this event ($55 / person) comes around again, I want to attend.  Cary Hershberger, Tequila Connection

Partida Tequila Dinner at Old Town Mexican Cafe

Written by Cary Hershberger, 5 Apr 2013  http://tequilaconnection.com

 Joined by three of my tequila-loving friends, I attended a four-course Partida Tequila Pairing Dinner on 3 April at the Old Town Mexican Cafe in San Diego. I decided to share some of what we experienced during this entertaining event. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Sofia Partida. Sofia explained she would be stopping by each table to guide us through the tasting. We were excited to learn the pairing is to include Partida’s top-of-the-line Extra Añejo, Elegante.

 A very refreshing round of cocktails concocted of Partida Blanco, fresh lime juice, pomegranate juice and agave nectar were delivered to our table.  Sofia poured us a round of Partida Blanco in small brandy snifters as she explained how the Partida line of tequila is produced. They use mature agave grown in the lowland area of Amatitan, Jalisco. The shaved agave piñas are cooked for 18 hours in stainless steel autoclaves. They use a double-distillation process designed to capture and highlight the characteristics of the locally grown agave. Although NOM 1454 depicted on the bottle indicates the Familia Partida Distillery, distillation is actually performed at Autentica Tequilera in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. No additives, colorings or artificial flavors are introduced during the production process. The Blanco is left to settle for a couple weeks in Stainless Steel tanks prior to bottling.

 Sofia explained tequila tasting techniques as our salads of spring greens arrived. Partida’s Blanco has a pleasant aroma of agave with light vegetal and floral notes. We found flavors of agave, citrus, and herbs (a hint of mint) with a slightly peppery finish. The creamy cilantro, sunflower seed and tequila dressing on the salad paired well with the crisp blanco.     

 An appetizer of shrimp-stuffed mushrooms appeared along with a fresh Partida Margarita. We continued sipping cocktails, snacking on fresh tortilla chips and salsa, and anxiously awaiting the next tequila pour.  The Reposado tequila was served quickly followed by the main entrée. The Reposado, rested for 6 months in used Jack Daniels’ whisky barrels, has a light-amber appearance with aromas of spice, wood and fruit. The hefty entrée (pictured above) featured chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, and sweet red pepper along side a hunk of Steak Azteca (skirt steak topped with a wonderful tomatillo-based sauce). Both the stuffed-chicken breast and steak were topped with melted Swiss and Monterey Jack cheese with a side of beans and rice to complete the plate. The spicy flavors in the entrée danced with the spicy notes in the Reposado resulting in an intense combination of flavor and heat.  

As I struggled to finish the Grande entrée while capturing details on my note pad, the Añejo made its way to our table. Eyebrows were rising as our group sampled the Añejo, aged 18 months in similar barrels. This full-bodied tequila has a golden hue with aromas of spice, fruit, vanilla and honey. We were very much enjoying the complex flavors of baking spice, stone fruit, butterscotch, vanilla and oak of the Añejo.

Next arrives the dessert – called a banana burrito served with ice cream (pictured here).  It was a nice dish to accommodate the end of the Añejo and introduction of the Elegante Extra Añejo.

 The Elegante is aged 3 years in used Jack Daniels’ barrels, then an additional 6 months in new American Oak barrels which are half the size.  The new and smaller size barrels speed up the impact of aging, thus 3 and a half years is plenty of time to get the desired flavor profile.         

The ultra-premium Elegante Tequila is silky smooth and well balanced. We found similar flavors as the Añejo along with some tropical fruit notes. A wonderful after-dinner sipper albeit a bit pricy ($350 per bottle) it comes in very elegant packaging and is likely to impress serious tequila connoisseurs.

 The pairing dinner lasted about 3 hours – a great value for the cost of $55 per person. Thanks to Sophia Partida and the folks at the Old Town Mexican Café for their efforts with this entertaining event. It was very personable and enjoyable. We look forward to attending similar tequila pairing dinners in the future!

11th Annual Expo Tequila in Tijuana B.C.

By BajaBerger

Are you hungry (or thirsty) for some Mexican culture?  Don’t miss the much anticipated 11th annual Expo Tequila in Tijuana.  Tequila fans from both sides of the border converge to enjoy some of the best Agave based spirits along with authentic Mexican food and cultural music.  The event offers 300 brands of Tequilas at special prices as well as daily raffles for attendees.  There are many brands to sample at no additional cost.

•               When: October 12th thru 16th 2011 
•               Where: Revolucion Avenue at 7th Street, Downtown TJ
•               Time: 1:00 PM to 12:00 Midnite (9 PM on Sunday)
•               Cost: $6.00 US dollars  or $70.00 Mexican pesos.

Tequila Connection launches Video Section

Tequila Connection’s “Video” section is now up and running!  Learn about the History of Tequila,  Tequila Production, Agave Harvesting, and more.   There is also some music videos thrown in for the fun of it.   Go to: https://www.tequilaconnection.com/Video/VideoSelection.htm

Enjoy!

By BajaBerger @ TequilaConnection.com