Friday, March 9, 2007

Lifestyle: Viva! Tequila

By Katharine Dyson
GPA Contributing Lifestyle Editor

The scene was similar to arriving for a private showing of "Deal or No Deal."

Premium Tequila Clase Azul Ultra.

Walking down to the seaside patio of Marquis Los Cabos Resort and Spa, Mexico, we passed several elegant young ladies dressed in silky black evening gowns who lined the steps to greet us. Waiters with silver trays moved through the crowd serving a variety of margaritas while on the pool deck, a table holding three elaborately-decorated ceramic bottles, one draped with a black fabric, awaited the main event: the Governors of Baja California Sur and Jalisco unveiling of a special edition of Premium Tequila Clase Azul Ultra.

Only 100 bottles, at a cost of $1,000 each, were produced by Tequilas Premium, a local tequila maker. The Marquis had been chosen for this launch as the resort recently earned Mexico's Distinctive T award, which is bestowed on hotels and restaurants that preserve and extend the tequila culture.

That balmy evening, all was alive and well in tequila world as we toasted the new Premium Ultra with glasses of anejo, one of Mexico's finest tequilas that is often compared to cognac.

Tequila tastings are growing more popular throughout the southwest. At Isla, a Mexican kitchen and tequila bar in Las Vegas' Treasure Island Hotel, a tall, blond "Tequila Goddess" introduces guests to all kinds of spirits. And at Windows on the Green, a gourmet restaurant overlooking the golf course at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., sommelier Dave Sullivan oversees tableside tequila tastings while you nibble on the best guacamole and salsa you will ever have.

Although the J.W. Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa in Tucson is new, already a tequila tradition has been established. Starr Pass's resident Tequila Master, Brian Jaymont, explains the basics of his inspired infusions each evening during a ceremony on the patio of Salud, the resort's signature bar.

As the sun goes down, guests raise their glasses of the tequila of the day as the desert becomes streaked with orange, red and yellow. Later in Salud, diners can choose from an extensive menu of margaritas made from freshly-squeezed juices to accompany the southwestern cuisine. (See Jaymont's infusion tips below).

Want to do a major taste test? Go to Santa Fe, and have dinner at Maria's, a casual restaurant noted for its margaritas. In the interest of on-the-job research, I tried a few. My verdict? Go for the Agava margarita. Also in Santa Fe at the Inn on the Alameda, the house specialty is the Turquoise Margarita, a beautiful cocktail served every afternoon to guests.

And just where you would least expect it, one of the best tequila and margarita tastings takes place on a Caribbean cruise aboard the Disney Magic. The tasting, using triple-sized shot glasses, is led by a very knowledgeable English woman (go figure) who totally knows her tequila.

One thing I have learned is that not all tequila is created equal. I have learned to have my margarita made with "top shelf" tequila (better tequila) and I've learned that the better tequila, the better I will feel the next morning.

Facts

Most tequila comes from the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. In order to be labeled tequila, the product must be produced in and around Tequila.

A tourist train -- the Tequila Express -- runs from Guadalajara to the town of Tequila,

Finding a worm in your tequila is not a good thing. The gusan rojo worm, which lives in the agave plant, is a pest, not a coveted tequila additive. Rather the worm is a clever marketing gimmick inserted in Mescal. And it doesn't have any great properties. After all a worm is a worm and this one is already pretty well pickled by the time you reach it.

Tequila is not made from cactus, but from agave; the best tequilas are 100 percent blue agave.

Unless designated as anejo, muy anejo or reposado, tequilas are unaged.

Kinds
Blanco, or silver, is a clear tequila that is not aged. Its fresh, fruity flavor is the most direct expression of agave and makes a blanco a great choice for mixed drinks. Blancos are the base for all other tequilas, so to get a good comparison between various distillers, you should compare their blancos.

Joven, or gold, tequila is usually an unaged liquor to which select cane sugar or caramels have been added to create a rich, tawny color. As with blanco, jovens are best suited for mixed drinks. They tend to taste a little sweeter than blanco, with caramel aromas.

Reposado, or "rested" tequilas, are aged in wood tanks or barrels for at least two months. They are often pale straw in color and are mellower than the blancos and jovens. They have smooth mixability for more sophisticated cocktails or can be enjoyed straight.

Anejo tequila must be aged in oak barrels for 12 months or more. It is gold to amber in color and has a soft, smooth, complex flavor brought on by its relationship with the aromatic wood. This is a tequila that is to be sipped slowly and appreciatively, just as you would a fine cognac or Armagnac. It is delightful as an after-dinner drink.

Infusing Tequila
Infusing tequila with various fruits and spices brings out subtle nuances and flavors that enhance the tequila and flavor profile. Steeping ingredients in tequila for a period of time extracts flavors into the spirits.

Take a lidded glass jar or an empty liquor bottle and fill with the desired ingredients, reserving the simple syrup and tequila on the side. It is important to use fresh ingredients and use a vegetable wash to ensure a clean taste.

Once the ingredients are in the jar, carefully add the simple syrup to coat them, then very slowly add the tequila to the mix. Be sure to pour slowly so as not to break up the ingredients and ensure a crisp liquid without pieces floating throughout.

Seal the bottle or jar and let sit at room temperature for five to seven days (or longer if desired). Test the tequila for progression daily and let the infusion breathe for a few minutes each day to allow gases and unwanted vapor aromas to escape. The jars can be steeped in the refrigerator if the items require a controlled climate.

Once the infusion reaches the desired taste, strain and enjoy. Salud!

Salud! Tequila Infusion Recipes
Here are some of Starr Pass's Tequila Master Brian Jaymont's personal favorites.

Tropical Tequila
1/2 pineapple, skinned and sliced
1 mango, sliced
2 vanilla beans (soaked in bourbon for a few minutes)
1 750-ml bottle silver tequila (i.e., Sauza Silver, Cuervo Blanco)
1 tablespoon simple syrup (Karo corn syrup or Splenda syrup are good substitutes)

Note: Great flavors with a slight sweetness from the pineapple and mango. A great sipping tequila and a perfect base for a margarita.

Berry-Infused Tequila
1 cup blackberries
2 cups raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 750-ml bottle silver tequila

Note: Mellow berry flavor with a very slight sweetness -- a great starter for the tequila beginner.

Orange Creamsicle Tequila
2 oranges, sliced
4 vanilla beans
1 750-ml bottle silver or gold tequila
2 tablespoons simple syrup

Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for seven to 12 days.

Note: One of my favorites—reminds me of the frozen treat!

Pomegranate Lime Tequila
2 pomegranates, shelled and seeds removed (use seeds, discard any white pit pieces)
1 lime, sliced
1 750-ml bottle silver tequila
1 tablespoon simple syrup

Note: My personal drinker. Very mellow flavors, great on the rocks.

Dried Pear and Bing Cherry
2 cups dried pear halves
1 cup dried Bing cherries
2 tablespoons simple syrup
750-ml bottle silver tequila

Very subtle flavors with a slight sweetness. Best drank neat in a snifter.

Tequilas For Cooking

Rosemary Citrus Tequila
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, cleaned
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced orange
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 750-ml bottle silver tequila

Note: This is a wonderful marinade for grilled chicken. Let infuse for three to four days, then add chicken legs or breasts for a few hours or overnight to infuse.

Other recipes
Jalapaño Margarita (From Marquis Los Cabos)
2 slices jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 oz. Herradura tequila
4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Sprite
Lime wedge for garnish

Muddle a jalapeño slice with the sugar, then add the tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and Sprite. Add ice and shake well, then pour into a glass with or without salt. Garnish with lime wedge and remaining jalapeño slice.

Inn On The Alameda Turquoise Margarita
Coarse Kosher salt
1.5 oz. Tequila Cuervo Especial (Premium Gold)
1 oz. blue curacao
2 oz. margarita mix
Dash fresh lime juice
2 lime wedges

Wipe the rim of a chilled margarita glass with one of the lime wedges, dip in salt to taste. Mix all ingredients, except the remaining lime wedge in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Pour into the margarita glass and garnish with remaining lime wedge.

Maria's House Margarita
1 lime wedge
Saucer of Kosher salt
1.25 oz. Tequila Cuervo Especial (Premium Gold)
1 oz. Bols Triple Sec
1.5 oz. fresh lime juice
Ice

Run the lime around the rim of a hurricane-style margarita glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the saucer of salt, rotating the rim in the salt until the desired amount of salt has collected in the glass. Measure the tequila, the triple sec and lime juice into a 16-oz. cocktail shaker glass full of ice. Place the shaker top over the glass and shake vigorously for about five seconds, then pour into the salt-rimmed glass.