Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Bacon-Tequila!

So what could be better than combining some of my favorite things? Maybe a seat on a nice warm beach but for now this will do. Bacon has been trending its use in everything from soap to toothpicks so it's no surprise when the cocktail world picked it up. I've seen bourbon work very well with bacon in bloody marys and other deliciously earthy libations, so why not tequila? For this experiment I picked Camarena reposado. It's slightly sweet, almost maple taste would pair up perfectly. So on to the procedure!

Bacon Infused Tequila! 


1 - 750mL bottle of Camarena Reposado
5 strips of good, thick, smokey bacon
1 - large glass jar


Fry up your bacon. You want to keep it at a relatively low temperature in the beginning to allow the fat to render out without getting burned too fast.



Once your bacon has gotten nice a crisp and there is a good reserve of grease in the pan, pour everything into your jar. Yeah it looks a little icky but all the goodness with be extracted without any of the grease.



This was a small test batch we did first
Than bring on the tequila! Let sit our till it comes to room temperature than put in the freezer for at least 24 hours, the more the better.


After all the fat has hardened up, pull out your jar, and strain out your tequila using either cheese cloth or a coffee filter like I have.



ENJOY!

As for what to mix it with, the possibilities are endless! Here's one recipe that we've created for this month

Agave Bacon Cider
1.5oz Bacon Tequila
2oz    Apple Cider (unfiltered)
.5oz   Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup though the flavor will change dramatically


Shake everything with ice and serve on the rocks 

-Peter
mmmm bacon...


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Discovering Tequila. Part one

While drinking tequila is one of my favorite pastimes its always good to take a look at just how it goes from seed to glass. The blue webber agave plant is very different from other plants used to produce spirits. Taking generally around 6-8 years to reach maturity, this is not a seasonal harvest and requires a lot of care and maintenance. During the growing period, the plants are pruned, cutting the points of the leaves with machetes to encourage the piƱa to grow. 
Once they've reached maturity they are ready to harvest. People known as Jimadors go through the field, hacking off the leaves and trimming it down to just the core for harvest. These cores can weigh up to 200lbs!

There will be much more to come so check back soon!

-Peter

Thursday, November 17, 2011

New Tequila!

HI! We are excited to bring a new tequila to Columbia. KAH Tequila designed their bottles in honor to the Mexico and reflect the tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Come sample these amazing tequilas today!

-Azul