While there’s nothing wrong with a plate full of corned beef and cabbage with a Guinness to wash it down, after four centuries of feasting in the honor of Saint Patrick, it might be time for a little innovation. So in honor of the most celebrated of all saintly feast days, we at the Coyote Café have put together some special recipes to get you pumped for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The Shamrock Margarita is a vivid, tasty new take on an old favorite. With a splash of mango and some bright blue curacao liqueur, you get a party-ready cocktail that’s easy to drink and easy on the eyes. We have also just announced our house special Leprechaun Margarita which features a hint of melon and a visage so green it could banish the snakes from Ireland all over again.

If you can’t make it out in time  for the big day, there’s no need to worry, because both the Shamrock Margarita and the Leprechaun Margarita will be available for the entire month of March at $7.95 a piece.

In preparation for the feast, Coyote Café is also your go-to place for the traditional Taco Tuesday on March 13^th. We’ll be serving our house special corned beef tacos, which come served in a festive green flour tortilla for $2 a piece all day.

On the big day itself you don’t want to miss our Corned beef taco plate!It comes heaped with potatoes and cabbage and topped with a sour cream mustard sauce as well as Mexican rice and refried beans, all for $9.50.

Valentine’s Day in San Diego has never been more fun than when it is spent at Café Coyote! On this special night we have three romantic options for you to start the night off right:

1. A beautiful three-course menu for $20/person, add perfectly selected Tequila pairings for $10 and things will get real hot!
2. Fresh lobster dinner guaranteed to impress your lover – $34.95/person
3. Lastly, delicious Rose Margaritas for only $7.95 /each

If you want to show your lover how much Valentine’s Day means to a romantic like you, let us recommend a few facts about the holiday to weave into conversation throughout the night:

• In 496 Pope Gelasius I pronounced February 14  tobe St. Valentine’s Day.
• In the 1800s stories popped up that St. Valentine’s Day dated back to Rome and the festival of Lupercalia on the 15th of February, this was later disproved.
• It is now widely accepted that St. Valentine’s Day is a Middle Age tradition of choosing a romantic partner on the day believed to be when birds began mating each spring.
• It is not clear whom Pope Gelasiusintended to honor with Valentine’s Day. According the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were three early Christian saints by that name. One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni, and of a third St. Valentine died with very little known about him.Most interestingly all three saints were martyred on Feb. 14!
• In 1969, the Catholic Church revised holidays with questionable origins and removed the feast of Valentine’s Day from the church’s official calendar.
• The tradition of Valentine’s cards did not become widespread in the United States until the 1850s.
• Todaythe holiday has become a success that according to the Greeting Card Association of America accounts for 25% of all cards sent each year.

About 70 years ago, in a little bar in Baja, a drink was born that would change the world’s understanding of the favorite local liquor, tequila. The drink was the Margarita, so named for the first person to enjoy it: Margarita Henkel, daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico.

The original drink enjoyed by Mrs. Henkel consisted of equal parts tequila, orange curacao liqueur, and lime. The classic margarita was served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass and, by and large, hasn’t changed much since its inception. But beyond the original, there is an entire world of margarita flavors and spinoffs. And to celebrate this diversity, Café Coyote is hosting National Margarita Day on February 22^nd.

Here at the Coyote, we serve 20 different variations on the classic drink from Pomegranate to Coconut, and on National Margarita Day, they will all be on special for $5. It’s an all night, all margarita happy hour honoring the rich history and adaptability of our favorite drink

Here at Café Coyote we want to get you ready for your weekend by celebrating your upcoming mini vacation with some of the world’s most premium Tequilas along with some creative tequila based cocktails.  Every Thursday Café Coyote likes to spot light one of our 100+ tequilas and create a cocktail, other than a margarita, to offer guests a new tequila drinking experience.  Our resident mixologist Kenny Kaufmann works closely with the crew of bartenders and Tequila Ambassadors to come up with new and innovative ways to pair Tequila with the freshest ingredients like: berries, peppers, mint and other exotic spices to create a truly unique drinking experience.

Tequila is becoming known far and wide as a quality spirit for consumption at almost any type of event.  Café Coyote has chosen Thursday to be our weekly day of appreciation for the spirit and have added a lobster Dinner special to the menu to further enhance the Thursday night experience.  Once you arrive at Café Coyote on Thursday you will notice the display that the Tequila Ambassador has put up to show everyone.  Starting with what particular brand of tequila we will be spot lighting and what new and creative cocktail will be served.

Tequilas are not just for shots anymore and Café Coyote is just the place to show you how to enjoy this spirit in a new and exciting way!  Please join us every Thursday and ask your server, hostess, busboy or anyone wearing or colorful Coyote T-shirt about talking to one of our in house Tequila Ambassadors to create a night of tequila magic that you will want to experience again and again.

A Summer of Fun

So many things to do in America’s Finest City, San Diego! Last weekend Café Coyote participated in the 3^rd annual San Diego Spirits Festival. This two-day celebration of spirits, local mixology and great fun was held at the stunning Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier.  The weather was just right for an afternoon of local food, art and a diversity of beverages.

60 international and local liquor brands presented their products in a creative fashion to attract hundreds of people that passed by their booths. The party was wild! Many wanted to continue the party in a responsible manner. The after party continued in many of San Diego’s local hot sports; one of them being our very own, Café Coyote.

I was privileged to set up a table that featured 4 of some the finest tequilas in Mexico: 1519, Fortaleza, Don Fulano, Tanteo infused and Chihuahua’s famous Don Cuco Sotol.

There were many other though: Milagro, Agave Underground, Kah, Agave 99 and Sonora Mexico’s Bacanora from the rare agave Pacifica also shone in this diverse assortment of spirits.

Summer has just arrived and there is still time to enjoy San Diego’s perfect weather!

Taco Tuesday, Tequila Thursday, bloody Maria Sundays with smoky Mezcal. Wow, there is a party here everyday!

This weekend will literally be a blast with Fourth of July weekend.  Ask for a  ‘Red, White, and Blue Margarita to support this great country, The United States Of America!

Ask for quality 100% agave tequila in your drink so that the only starts you see are the stars on our beautiful flag and not the stars you see after a horrible hangover when you drink average tequila.

I will be here all weekend and hope to see you at this award winning place, Café Coyote!

Salud !!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador

June 2, 2011

The Endless Summer

June is here and summer is just around the corner. It seems that summer never ends in America’s finest city. This endless summer calls for cold drinks in a casual and relaxing ambiance. The place to visit this hot summer is Café Coyote! The entire month of June is set aside to teach you about tequila Cazadores and our delicious and complex cocktails made with this legendary brand. Tequila Cazadores (the one with the deer on the label) is produced in Arandas, Jalisco.  Arandas is located in the southern part of Los Altos (The Highlands) of Jalisco, which is just 100 kilometers to the east of Guadalajara. Arandas is known for its rich, red and fertile soil. Some of the world’s best tequilas were born in this noble place.

This Thursday I will be making a, “Blood Orange Cream sickle Margarita.“ Join me at Café Coyote from 6-9p.m. to learn step by step the correct way to make it. Discover what a difference it makes to pour 100 percent agave tequila in some of your favorite cocktails and dare to taste new innovations with fresh ingredients.

Besides being Tequila Thursday, it is also Lobster Thursday.  Deep-fried Main Lobster, Puerto Nuevo style goes great with our weekly-featured cocktails. If you overstuff yourself with our generous portions of food, I can guide you to excellent tequila that will take care of that full belly feeling.  In many parts of Mexico it is a custom to sip on tequila after a meal. They call it,  “el desempanze,” in other words a great digestive.

See you soon!

Salud!

Mario Marquez

World Class, Master Tequilier

Café Coyote, Old Town

May 26, 2011

Tequila vs. Mezcal

One of the biggest misconceptions that I encounter when I talk to my customers about tequila is the question about the worm in the bottle. Today I would like to clarify the worm myth.

It is quit simple; tequila never has a worm in the bottle. The spirit that sometimes has the worm in the bottle is called mezcal.

Tequila and mezcal are related but differ in many ways. Mezcal has been around since the 16^th century. Tequila is simply the son of this mother spirit. Tequila is a type of mezcal but has acquired the name of its town, Tequila to distinguish itself from mezcals that are produced in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Durango, and most recently some parts of Guanajuato.

To be called tequila, the agaves used for tequila production can only come from the entire state of Jalisco and selected counties of the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila can only be distilled from only one variety of agave, the Agave Tequilana Weber Azul.

Though tequila is generally known to be a type of mezcal, rules and regulations have been implemented to distinguish between these two spirits from Mexico. Since tequila goes through a steam cooking process, in masonry or stainless steel autoclaves (steam pressure cookers) the end product conserves a steamed agave flavor that is most notable in blanco (silver) tequilas. You will never see a bottle of tequila that has the name mezcal on the bottle or vice versa.

Mezcal can be made from various types of agaves (thirty as of today) such as: Espadin, Tóbala (wild agave), Cierego and Mexicano, just to mention a few. One of the most notable features about mezcal is its production. The traditional method of roasting the agave in underground wood-fired pits, stone milling, and distilling in small batches using small copper pot stills helps mezcal aquire its smokiness, unique aromas and flavors. It is important to note that some mezcals today are acquiring more state of the art production methods but still keep some traditional touches to distinguish among other agave-based spirits.

Tequila is what I call, an evolution of mezcal. There is an old saying that goes: “ Para todo mal, mezcal. y para todo mal también !” (Mezcal for the good times, Mezcal for the bad time as well)

Salud!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador

Café Coyote

May 12, 2011

The Institute of the Americas honors Juan Francisco Beckmann Vidal, President of Jose Cuervo, S.A. DE C.V. at UCSD

For years the University of California at San Diego has hosted       “ The Institute of the Americas’ Business Leadership in the Americas’ Award” to exemplary business people.  On May 10, 2011, the award was giving to Juan Francisco Beckmann Vidal, President of Jose Cuervo S.A. de C.V. Over 100 people attended this great event to honor this legendary individual.

Café Coyote’s very own Tequila Ambassador attended this historical event to learn from Mr. Beckman and other Jose Cuervo’s top executives. Mario Marquez personally congratulated Mr. Beckmann and the Cuero team on their successful business endeavors.

The night began with an inspirational speech by Mr. Beckmann. He explained the history of his company and what future awaits the entire tequila industry.  Their Director of Training and Education, Rene Valdez moderated a brief tequila discussion. The guest got to enjoy a nice tasting of some of the top line of Jose Cuervo’s products.

Thank you all that came to hear Mr. Beckmann speak and spending Mexican’s Mother’s Day (May 10) away from your humble home, Mexico.

Salud!

Article in Cheers Mag about Tequila April 2011

Follow the link to see an article from Cheers Magazine featuring Cafe Coyote and our very own Mario Marquez!

Cinco De Mayo Warm up

Ready or not, Cinco de Mayo is two weeks away!

The streets of Old Town are already busy with the preparation of this annul fiesta.  The festivities begin Saturday April 30^th and May 1^st with a celebration your entire family can enjoy. The main stage located outside of Café Coyote will be sponsored by Corona beer and will feature live bands and entertainment to dance the night away.

Thursday, May 5^th will be a party for all the adults 21 years and older. Café Coyote is definitely the best place to be at this special day. We have over 600 seats to accommodate our guest and we count with 3 full service bars and satellite bars that will make your experience enjoyable and relaxing.

Join me tonight for our featured cocktail of the week, the tequila Cilantro Mojito.

This drink is similar to the rum mojito but is substituted with El Jimador, 100 % agave tequila and cilantro instead of mint leaves. This drink is very refreshing and will have you wanting another.

I will also be educating our patrons on tequila, mezcal, Don Cuco Sotol and Bacanora.

All the above are Mexican regional spirits from agave or close related plants native to Mexico. Don’t hesitate! Happy hour is until 6:00p.m. and I will gladly make you one of my signature drinks with your favorite tequila.

Salud!

Mario Alejandro Marquez

Tequila Ambassador

Café Coyote,  Old Town, San Diego