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.