February 25, 2010

Dear patrons,

In last week’s blog, I wrote about the cultivation and harvesting of the blue agave. Today I will write about the next step to tequila production, the cooking process.

Once at the distillery the agave hearts are placed in ovens to be steam cooked. The purpose of cooking the agave hearts is to hydrolyze the sugars and then make them soluble, since the inulin is not very soluble in water and it can’t be fermented in a direct way. The most common types of ovens used today are masonry and autoclaves. It takes approximately 48 hours for the agave hearts to be cooked in masonry ovens compared to about 18 hours in autoclaves (steam pressure cookers).

The cooking process is crucial to the final product. Many veteran producers believe that patience is key to producing quality tequila. Though autoclaves speed up the process it this does not mean that bad quality tequila will be the result if this type of oven is selected for production. Many modern tequila companies use autoclaves today and have proven that they can produce superb tequilas. Selecting ripe agaves and having the passion for making quality tequila is the base for producing great tequila.

After the agaves have been cooked they will them go into a milling process so that their sweet sugars can be extracted. Join me next week to examine, the third step to tequila production: The milling process…

Come by this Thursday for “Tequila Thursday”. I will be available to talk to you in detail about your favorite tequila or introduce you to one of my favorites. Each week we feature new tequila to keep the spirit alive. Try our tequila paring dinner for only $ 25.00.

Salud!

Mario Marquez, Tequila Ambassador

Café Coyote y Cantina

February 18, 2010

Dear patrons,

For the next few weeks I will take you step by step through the art of tequila production. Today I will focus on the prime material, the blue agave.

In Mexico alone there are about 230 different agave species. The only kind of agave that can be used to produce tequila is categorized, Blue Tequilana Weber Agave.

It takes agaves about 6 -10 years to reach full maturity. From the time agaves are planted, farmers help in maintaining them healthy by weeding the land around them, controlling their growth and prevention them from getting plagues. The Goal is to conserve the maximum level of starches in the agave’s core.

Close to maturity, an inflorescence called, quiote begins to grow from the center leaves of the agave. It is rare to see a flowering stalk on a cultivated agave field. If the quiote is not cut, it will shrink the agave heart and the agave will be robbed of its rich starches.

It is up to the Jimador (harvester) to care for the agaves and decide when it is time for harvesting. When it is time, the Jimador sharpens his coa (a round sharp hoe) and cuts all the agaves surrounding pencas (leaves). When uprooted and all the pencas have been cut the only thing that remains after this process is the core or heart of the agave. The heart is said to look like a perfectly round pineapple. The heart is cut in half or fourths to make it easy to carry them to the trucks that will transport them to the distillery.

Folks, this is only the beginning to what one day will become tequila. The above is a synopsis and intended to help you understand this lengthy process. Please join me next week to discover the next step to producing tequila, the cooking process.

Salud!!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador, Café Coyote and Cantina

February 11, 2010

Dear valued customers,

We invite you to join us this Sunday for a special Valentine’s’ lunch or dinner. Our special menu will feature a delicious three-course meal paired with three tequilas. The cost is only $ 25.00. You may substitute the tequilas for a Grande Rose Margarita if you prefer.  Have our talented musicians help you serenade your loved one. This will be an unforgettable moment that you can forever conserve.

Tonight people fell in love with our featured tequila, Fortaleza. It was only a month ago that we set up their mobile Cantina. The majority of our guest had never heard about this brand. Indeed it is a brand that is not available in all you local liquor stores and restaurants. In the United States, Tequila Fortaleza is only available in California and Nevada.

At Café Coyote we are proud to bring in small Mexican family tequila brands that conserve their traditional production methods. Fortaleza is one that we appreciate because of its quality and history.

If you have ever heard of the Sauza family, tequila Fortaleza carries a legacy behind this family name. Guillermo Erikson Suaza, owner of this brand is a fifth generation family member.

Guillermos’s Tatarabuelo (Great-Great-Grandfather) was the first to import tequila into the United States in the 1860s.  The tequila process that Guillermo uses is almost an exact duplication that his Great-Great Grandfather used.

7 to 8 year old agaves are grown to reach an average weight of 100 pounds. After the agaves are harvested they are taken to the distillery to be steam cooked in a 16-ton masonry oven for 33 hours. The cooked agaves are then stone milled for seven hours in the Tahona. This Type of stone milling is almost unheard of today. The must is pumped into wood vats for a natural fermentation. The dead must is then double distilled in small copper pot stills to make tequila.

As you can see, this is a labor intense and artisan production. Next time you are at Café Coyote try their entire line: blanco (not aged), 6-9 month reposado and over 2 year añejo.

Salud!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador, Café Coyote y Cantina

February 4, 2010

Dear Coyote Guests,

We are now in the romantic month of February and the weather seems to be more welcoming. There is no place nicer than Old Town to spend some quality time with your loved ones. Café Coyote is always alive. You cannot miss us. We are located on San Diego Avenue, Old Town’s busiest street. Our tortilla artisans and magnet shaped side patio will draw you in from the street.

If you are walking or driving by on a Thursday evening, you will notice people gathering around sampling our featured weekly tequila. This week we left it up to Tequila Corralejo. Corralejo is produced in Jalisco’s neighbor state, Guanajuato. The distillery is built inside a historic hacienda that was the birthplace of Mexico’s founding father, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Miguel Hidalgo led the war of independence in 1810. We are now in the year 2010. This year is one to celebrate because it commemorates Mexico’s 200 years of freedom from Spain.

 Tequila Corralejo is famous for its tall, skinny blue bottle. This is only one of 5 styles in their portfolio.

Corralejo blanco is bottled without any aging directly from the distillery’s copper pot stills. Don Leonardo Rodriguez, founder of Tequila Corralejo refers to the blanco as “the truth” because it magnificently captures the authentic character of the Tequilana Blue Weber Agave.

Corralejo reposado is aged for 4 months in barrels of three different types of wood-French, American and white oak. This unique aging process is what gives this semi- aged tequila its woody aromatic complexity.

Corralejo añejo is aged for 12 months in barrels of new American oak. The barrel is burnt at the inside in order to achieve its Smokey taste. This añejo comes in a red bottle. In Mexico the color red stands for prosperity.

We did not get to try Corralejo’s triple distilled reposado or their two-year, Gran Corralejo añejo. I hope we get to sample them next time around. For those of you who missed out on last months Tequila Fortaleza’s Tequila Thursday experience they will be joining us again on February 11^th. We received so many requests for this brand that we decided to bring them back. Show up early because this tequila runs out fast!

Salud!!!

Mario Marquez

 Tequila Ambassador, Café Coyote y Cantina

January 28, 2010

Dear valued customers,

Thank you for your loyal support to our restaurant. In the time of economic crises you have stood by us and we value your repeat business. Twenty years have passed since we first opened our doors and we owe our growth to you.

I have been an employee of Café Coyote for 9 years and am fortunate to have a job that is unique and exciting. I am a Tequila Ambassador (similar to a sommelier). I want to invite you to join us for our spectacular Tequila Thursdays each week from 4:00 to 6:00p.m.   It is an experience like no other. Every week a different tequila brand is featured to give you a chance to learn about their diverse characteristics and production styles.

This Thursday we featured tequila Cazadores. This tequila brand is produced in Arandas, Jalisco. Arandas is famous for its rich red soil and home to many other quality tequila brands. As of today, tequila Cazadores is ranked the fifth highest selling tequila in the world. This is a high mark considering that it competes with over 1000 other tequila brands.

Tequila Cazadores has three presentations: blanco, reposado and añejo. It wasn’t until   about three years ago that this company created their first añejo tequila. Their añejo is aged for over one year in small American oak casks. This 100 percent agave tequila is best when served neat at room temperature.

This tequila goes through what they call the “Mozart effect”. During the fermentation process, music by Mozart is played to help achieve a relaxed and natural process. I have learned that the best tequilas require a natural fermentation. During this process one must wait patiently for the yeast to consume the sugars. This is when the sugars are converted into alcohol. Fermentation is the stage where various aromatic components are formed. Adding relaxed music to the process never hurts.

If you missed this Tequila Thursday we hope to see you on February 4^th. We will feature a tequila that dates back to the 1930s, Don Julio. It was at the age of 17 when Don Julio González founded his first distillery. This tequila was one of the first to open up the premium tequila market. Discover what makes this tequila so good. I cannot promise you relaxing Mozart music; but I can guarantee you great tequila, excellent food, fine service and happy Mexican songs.

Salud!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador, Café Coyote y Cantina

January 21, 2010

Dear valued customers,

I am happy to see the growing interest and enthusiasm of every guest that takes a risk in trying something new. Tequila is a spirit that sometimes brings bad memories of a time when we drank too much or tasted a poor quality product. I remember my college years and my weekly trips down to the cantinas of Tijuana, Mexico. A man blowing a whistle and wanting to pour bad quality tequila down my throat greeted me. After getting my head shaken from side to side and walking out of the bar, I new that the night was young but the next day would be hell. Yes, a hell of a hangover!

Things have changed for the best. I try not to ever shoot tequila. I have learned to appreciate the spirit by sipping and savoring the complex aromas and flavors. Next time you are at Café Coyote and want advise on how to be a good Catador (Taster), I will try my best to teach you about the art of tequila tasting.

This Tequila Thursday, our customers got to sample a brand that dates back to the year 1870. Tequila Herradura, which in English means horseshoe, was the tequila that was examined. Herradura is produced in Amatitán, Jalisco. The Amatitán valley is known for having some of the richest and healthiest agaves for producing tequila. Herradura is also known for being the first company ever to produce a barrel aged tequila.

This Thursday we were lucky to sample: Herradura blanco, reposado, and añejo.  Herradura blanco (silver) is aged for 45 days in white oak barrels. This style of aging is unique to most silver tequilas. Most blancos never touch oak.

The reposado is rested in oak for 11 months. This exceeds the regular time for tequila to be called a reposado by 9 months. It is common to find reposados that are only aged for exactly 2 months. In Mexico, most people prefer reposado tequila because of its bold and dry flavor.

The 25-month añejo was a big success this Thursday and the entire month. Añejo tequila is aged for a minimum of one year in small oak barrels that do not exceed 600 liters. During our Restaurant Week, we paired this tequila with our desserts and the feedback was all-positive. Añejo tequila hits the spot after a nice dinner. Its rich and full flavor can even replace dessert and help you with your digestion.

I hope to see you next week to taste tequila Cazadores from Arandas, Jalisco. It is the one with the deer on the label.

Salud!

Mario Marquez, Tequila Ambassador

Café Coyote  and Cantina

Jan 14, 2010

Queridos Coyotes y tequila aficionados,

January is full of great tequilas to pair with our traditional appetizers, Mexican plates and sweet desserts. Beginning, January 17 thru January 22, Café Coyote will be participating in the 6th annual San Diego Restaurant week. There will be 185 restaurants all over San Diego from South Bay to North Country. Each location will be offering delectable three-course prix fixe menus. Our three -course meals will start at  $20.00 with an option to choose a tequila paring for an additional $10.00. The tequilas that will be paired are: Fortaleza blanco (Tequila Jalisco), Cazadores reposado (Arandas, Jalisco) and Herradura añejo (Amatitán, Jalisco).

For those of you who missed it, Tequila Thursday was more than great singing by our strolling mariachis. Liquid ballads were poured into the glasses of our guest.  Tequila Corrido (tequilacorrido.com), named after Mexican Folk music about tequila smugglers, which gained popularity during the U.S. Prohibition was lawfully smuggled into the United States and tasted at Café Coyote.

We got to sample the blanco, also named Cristalino and Corrido’s thee year extra- añejo. Tequila Corrido is a brand that is produced from select blue agaves grown in the fertile red soil of Los Altos Jalisco. The highlands are generally known for producing agaves rich in sugar levels that tend to give tequila from this “terroir” a sweet and crisp flavor.

From the face gestures and responses of our guest, I could infer that they enjoyed both styles. The “ tequila purest “ stuck to the blanco. They described herbal, peppery, earthy and cooked agave notes. For the extra- añejo, some described it as smooth, chocolaty, caramel, woody, vanilla and Cognac like aromas and flavors. The consumers that were new to tasting tequila favored the 3-year añejo.

If you are new to the art of tequila tasting, I recommend first trying aged 100 percent agave tequilas. You might find then easier to sip. When you feel more comfortable and want to explore the other types, work your way down to a blanco, which generally tends to be more robust and earthy.

Don’t be afraid, come Thursday of Friday evening and I will help you decide which tequila is best for you. Next Thursday, we will taste Herradura (horse shoe) from the fertile valley of Amatitán, Jalisco. Discover why this tequila is known to give you good luck.

Cheers!!!

Mario Marquez, Tequila Ambassador

Jan 7, 2010

Greetings, Coyote patrons and tequila aficionados,

We started, our first Tequila Thursday of the year featuring Tequila Fortaleza. Marco Ramos and Raul Tellez, brand representatives brought their portable Fortaleza Cantina that amazed the crowd that gathered to inquire about the brand. Tequila, Fortaleza is an authentic brand that is produced in Tequila, Jalisco. This brand is a fifth generation Sauza family production revived by Guillermo Erikson Sauza, great-great grandson of tequila pioneer, Cenobio Sauza. It is important to note that the Sauza tequila brand was sold in 1976 and the actual Sauza family is no longer is in charge of producing tequila for this brand.

Tequila Fortaleza, also bottled as, Los Abuelos in Mexico has three tequila types: blanco (silver), reposado (reposed), and añejo (aged). This tequila is produced only from 100% stone milled blue agaves using old traditional tequila producing methods that were used centuries ago. Patience is the key to creating tequila that is unequal in taste, complexity and smoothness.

Café Coyote is a firm advocate of supporting artisan brands. We recognize the hard labor and love that goes into creating quality tequila. It is important to help conserve Mexican culture, history and traditions. Each month we choose a region of Mexico to educate our staff and guest on the different culinary food available in different states of Mexico. This month we are celebrating the region of Puebla. Puebla is famous for being the location of the Battle of Puebla against the French army that took place on May 5, 1862.  In the United States we celebrate and know it as Cinco de Mayo. This date is not to be confused as Mexico’s Independence Day. Mexico celebrates their independence from Spain on September 16 of each year.

Come to Café Coyote today and try Puebla’s famous Mole Verde, delicious stewed chunks of pork in a combination of tomate verde, cilantro, espazote, green chiles, garlic and onions.  Also, try our Tingas de Pollo, cooked shredded chicken with sauce made from tomatoes, onions, garlic, and smokey chipotle chiles. Tingas are served on three mini tostadas. Both of these dishes will satisfy your craving for fine Mexican food.  Fortaleza blanco tequila is a great paring with both of these dishes. These traditional Mexican plates will only be available this month. Don’t miss out!

Salud!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador

Café Coyote and Cantina.

January 1, 2010

 Happy New Year Coyote patrons,

 2010 is here and there are over 400 tequilas that are on my list to sample this brand new year. Last night we finished off 2009 with our New Year’s Eve, four- course tequila pairing dinner. The spotlight was on three tequilas: Herradura blanco, Fortaleza reposado, and Corralejo añejo.

What is unique about these tequilas is their diversity. Herradura blanco is actually a silver tequila that has been aged for 45 days in white oak barrels, hence its light yellowish color that is influenced by the cask. Tequila Herradura is from the town of Amatitán, Jalisco. This company has produced quality tequila since the year 1870.

 Fortaleza is an artisan product from beginning to finish. This rustic brand from Tequila, Jalisco takes you back to more than 130 years in tequila production. Guillermo Erickson Sauza, a fifth generation family member decided to restore one of the first authentic Sauza family distilleries that was closed down and turn into a tourist museum for over 35 years. Fortaleza, which means fortitude, stone-mills their cooked agaves, ferments the musts in oak vats, and distills in small copper alambics. The reposado that was paired last night is aged for about 6-9 months in oak barrels.

Corralejo añejo is aged for 12 months in barrels of new American oak. The barrels are charred at the inside in order to achieve its smokey flavor. This tequila comes from Jalisco’s neighbor state, Guanajuato. Corralejo is produced in the Ex-Hacienda Corralejo in the town of Pénjamo. It was there where Mexico’s founding father, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born. The state of Guanajuato is where the fight for Mexican independence from Spain began in the year 1810.

 Last night was full of education of all three brands. Over 40 people participated in our end of the year pairing. What a way to end the New Year. Stop by Thursday, January 7^th to learn more about tequila Fortaleza. Marco Ramos, Brand Ambassador and Catador (taster) from the prestigious, Academia Mexicana del Tequila will be with us from 4:00p.m-6:00p.m. to educate and sample you on the entire line of Fortaleza tequilas. Be sure to spread the word to your friends. Start the new year by trying quality tequila and awesome Mexican food.

Feliz Año Nuevo,

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador, Café Coyote y Tequileria