Tequila

It's no mystery that smells have a powerful effect on the brain, quickly bringing back memories. Last night, at another tasting dinner put together by Myrtlewood Liquors, the smell of fine tequila took me over. From 2005 to 2009 I spent about half my time traveling, and much of that was around Central and South America: Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Honduras all stamped my passport. The bars in that area tend to share a few characteristics, like spicy grilled meats, outdoor carts selling ice cream and bags of chili-spiced mango slices, cilantro-spiked seafood, and wooden tables seasoned over the years with dribbles of lime juice and tequila. Even a blonde-haired gringo can triple the quality of his service just by stringing together a coherent sentence in Spanish.

Tequila took me back to just such a place, those hot beaches, those alleyway bars, those carnitas y tostones. Three distilleries, three varieties each: Corazón, Pepe Zevada, and Tequila Ocho; blanco, reposado, and añejo. Dejame a mostrarlas.

First course:
Avocado and Mango Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Crumbled Queso Fresco.

This simple, no nonsense salad was a cool starter. Balance it right on your fork and each bite cuts a broad swath of textures and flavors, from creamy to crunchy, salty and sweet. It paired nicely with our blancos. I especially liked the full, sweet flavor of the Tequila Ocho Plata '08.

Second Course:
Ceviche Mixto.

Once again, I was thrown deeply back into my Latin American travels. I hadn't eaten a ceviche in about a year. I had it first in...I want to say Panama, but it could have been Ecuador. Here we have squid, scallops, onion, tomato, and cilantro, in tomato juice. Every ceviche is different, and there will be regional preferences wherever you go. I prefer mine heavier on the citrus, but this was still pretty good.

This course rounded out the blancos, and took us well into the reposados, my favorite of which being the Pepe Zevada. I loved the sweet, fruity aroma of grape, apple, and sugar; the Z just opened up with big, bright flavor, like ripe summer fruits and flowers, finishing with a mild spice. I may have been the oddball of my table, but Pepe Z was my distillery of the night, and this was my favorite tequila. It may not be straight-up traditional, and I wouldn't reach for it to make margaritas, but if I were back at the hotel gardens in Santa Rosa, watching the boaters on Lago Atitlan, this is the tequila I'd sip on.

Main Course:

Spiced and Skewered Chicken over Cabbage Cole Slaw.

These skewers came with the 19-month aged Pepe Zevada Añejo. I was lured in with a sweet vanilla aroma, and then given a nice little spank from this surprisingly forward and spicy tequila. It finishes with a lingering warmth, nicely complimenting the chicken. This was followed by the Tequila Ocho Añejo: with a more classic "tequila" aroma, the Ocho's bold, fruity flavor really made it stand out.

Dessert:


Roasted Plantains with Goat's Milk Caramel.

A perfect menu selection. Plantains are a classic Mexican dessert, one that I first found in Guatemala. I've tried to make them myself a couple times, and it takes some effort to get the starchiness out of the plantain and make it into something palatable (hint: it's not a banana, so don't treat it like one.) This came with a shot of Reserva del Señor Almendrado, an almond-infused dessert tequila, sort of like Amaretto. The rich, syrupy taste of cherry and chocolate was just decadent. I drank some, and poured the rest on my plantains, and promptly went insane from the amazing sweetness.

As the night went on, I was amused at how much the restaurant started to resemble a Mexican bar. All the smells of the tequila and the rowdiness of the diners came together just as they should. Vaya, corazón.