We all have that image in mind: a little salt in hand, a bite of lemon, and that shot that burns as it goes down the throat. Tequila, like so many other imported traditions, has been mistreated for a long time, associating it with parties, momentary discomfort, and ephemeral happiness. But, luckily, something is changing.
The perception of this centennial drink is evolving thanks, in part, to the work of people who, like Clara Castilla, explain its origin and curiosities. For example, that it was the Spanish Franciscans, settled on the slopes of the Tequila volcano in the 16th century, who began to distill mezcal wine and pulque, which already existed. Or that tequila is a designation of origin that can only be called that if it uses blue agave tequilana Weber (after the botanist Franz Weber).
Castilla, Brand Manager of the ultra-premium brand Clase Azul, invites us to Dry Martini with a very daring proposal: to enjoy a complete meal —starters, main courses, and desserts— paired exclusively with tequilas. The culinary dialogue is enriched with intense flavors: octopus with coconut, shrimp ravioli, chateaubriand with béarnaise... and progresses from a silver tequila, which comes directly from distillation, to those aged in barrels for months or years.
It must be said that few brands explain the history of this drink so well, which can only be made in five Mexican states. And even fewer have managed to position themselves as cultural references, with one particular bottle —that of Tequila Reposado— that frequently appears in movies, series, and celebrity stories. And it's no wonder: the container, inspired by a table leg, requires up to seven days of work by local artists.
If you want to learn more about this distillate, you're in luck: a few weeks ago, the restaurant Jaiba MX opened at the NH Collection Constanza. Chef Roberto Ruiz, the first Mexican to win a Michelin star in Europe, is also a great popularizer of the distillates from his land. In the restaurant, in fact, he displays an impressive cart of tequilas and mezcals with varieties aged and matured in oak barrels.
Ruiz suggests pairing tequila with recipes from the Pacific coast, known for combating the cruda —the hangover— with dishes like Vuelve a la vida, a ceviche of octopus, prawns, and marinated scallops that promises complete revitalization. The chef also infuses totopos with nopal, incorporates blue crab (jaiba), and revives recipes from the mythical restaurant Punto MX, which closed its doors in 2020.
Little by little, thanks to chefs like him and popularizers like Castillo, we are distinguishing tex-mex from authentic Mexican traditions and discovering that good tequila does not burn the throat, is not drunk in one gulp, and, perhaps, can make us happy both at night and the next day. As Ruiz himself emphasizes, tequila should be taken "a besitos," that is, in small sips full of love.