¡Ay, Tequila!
Tahona Tequila Bistro gets the agave out
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Tequila has long been known as party shot, but it’s been polishing its image lately. An increasing number of restaurants have begun pairing select tequilas with dinners carefully designed to bring out the nuances of the peppery, agave-derived spirit. At Boulder’s Tahona Tequila Bistro, bar manager Nico White and general manger Kate Linehan stock over 120 different kinds of tequila; they spoke with Decider about tequila-food synergy and the upgrading of an often-overlooked classic.
Decider: How has tequila made the transition from parties to fine dining?
Kate Linehan: Tequila is just so wide reaching. There are so many different tastes and kinds of tequila; people are realizing that the shots of Cuervo that made them very sick in college is not the same tequila that we serve, the higher-quality product that you can really enjoy.
D: Is the overall quality of tequilas increasing, or are they just being marketed better?
KL: I think it’s the marketing, but that could just be Boulder. I think we have such an educated populace, especially about food and wine. People here are really interested in tequila. It’s not something you have to poke and prod people to try. They’re already curious.
Nico White: Most of the tequilas that people want now are the 100-percent agave varieties. The lower-end tequilas, like Cuervo Gold, are suffering. They’re still selling very well, especially in markets that don’t have tequila bars, but I think it’s dropping off. I think Cuervo is moving away from selling Cuervo Gold, which has been their staple, into more high-end products like Cuervo Black because they see the market shifting in that direction.
D: When Tahona hosts its tequila-paired dinners, is telling each tequila’s story part of the evening?
KL: That’s a huge part of our day-to-day activity around here. It’s what we ask of our bartenders and our waiters and even our support staff—to really be ambassadors of tequila. People do come in with a bazillion questions and want to taste different tequilas and understand the nuances.
D: When planning your dinners, what comes first: the tequila or the food?
KL: Initially we work with our executive chef to figure out a tequila that we want to feature, one that we haven’t had at dinner for a while or that’s a really special product. Then we all start tasting the tequilas and thinking about what would pair nicely. If certain dishes are spicy, those are the dishes we pair with a margarita—it will balance it out. It’s difficult to do spicy food with straight tequila. When it’s hot-on-hot—and it’s hot outside—that just overwhelms your palate.
NW: Pairing food with liquor can be difficult. That’s why it’s nice to do mixers. We sometimes do two courses with cocktails, and then serve a little bit of the tequila that’s in the cocktails on the side.
D: Are there any foods that really clash with tequila?
KL: You have to keep the food light. I don’t think I would pair tequila with pot roast or rack of lamb, food that lends themselves more to wine. But if you stick tequila with salads and fruits and vegetables, or a lot of different barbecue, it’s so nice.
Kate Linehan: Tequila is just so wide reaching. There are so many different tastes and kinds of tequila; people are realizing that the shots of Cuervo that made them very sick in college is not the same tequila that we serve, the higher-quality product that you can really enjoy.
D: Is the overall quality of tequilas increasing, or are they just being marketed better?
KL: I think it’s the marketing, but that could just be Boulder. I think we have such an educated populace, especially about food and wine. People here are really interested in tequila. It’s not something you have to poke and prod people to try. They’re already curious.
Nico White: Most of the tequilas that people want now are the 100-percent agave varieties. The lower-end tequilas, like Cuervo Gold, are suffering. They’re still selling very well, especially in markets that don’t have tequila bars, but I think it’s dropping off. I think Cuervo is moving away from selling Cuervo Gold, which has been their staple, into more high-end products like Cuervo Black because they see the market shifting in that direction.
D: When Tahona hosts its tequila-paired dinners, is telling each tequila’s story part of the evening?
KL: That’s a huge part of our day-to-day activity around here. It’s what we ask of our bartenders and our waiters and even our support staff—to really be ambassadors of tequila. People do come in with a bazillion questions and want to taste different tequilas and understand the nuances.
D: When planning your dinners, what comes first: the tequila or the food?
KL: Initially we work with our executive chef to figure out a tequila that we want to feature, one that we haven’t had at dinner for a while or that’s a really special product. Then we all start tasting the tequilas and thinking about what would pair nicely. If certain dishes are spicy, those are the dishes we pair with a margarita—it will balance it out. It’s difficult to do spicy food with straight tequila. When it’s hot-on-hot—and it’s hot outside—that just overwhelms your palate.
NW: Pairing food with liquor can be difficult. That’s why it’s nice to do mixers. We sometimes do two courses with cocktails, and then serve a little bit of the tequila that’s in the cocktails on the side.
D: Are there any foods that really clash with tequila?
KL: You have to keep the food light. I don’t think I would pair tequila with pot roast or rack of lamb, food that lends themselves more to wine. But if you stick tequila with salads and fruits and vegetables, or a lot of different barbecue, it’s so nice.
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