Tequila & Mezcal Festival Recap

[ 0 ] April 3, 2015 | Collaborative Post

My husband and I had the pleasure of attending a preview of the “Tequila & Mezcal Festival” at Oyamel – owned by famous chef Jose Andres – in Penn Quarter. The actual festival ran for about 2 weeks in March, where anyone could buy tickets for $60 for unlimited tastings of delicious dishes like Ceviche Veracruz (lightly poached squid and striped bass) and Irria de Cabra (roasted goat marinated in chiles), along with libations including La Capital (chili-infused Anejo mixed drink) and PicaPepino (Milagro Silver mixed drink).

When we walked in, we were greeted by members of Andres’ PR team at Baltz & Co. His project is called the “Jose Andrew ThinkFoodGroup.” Andres’ assent to celebrity chef has been fun to watch, and being able to see it up close as a resident of DC is even more exciting!

As you know, Andres rarely disappoints. There were stations set up around the room – chips & fresh guac; a WHOLE roasted goat on display; and ceviche – along with two bartenders whipping up fancy drinks and servers with passed hors doureves. Each station had active chefs who prepared the dishes right there for you to see, and would answer any questions you might have had. And I can’t say enough about the bartenders! Every single drink was mixed by hand, and with care. To top all of this off – a LIVE mariachi band was playing!

My favorite dishes were: the goat, braised turkey leg (Panuchos de pavo con salsa chiltomate), and of course the chips & guac. My husband loved the ceviche – I did not, but it’s because I usually can’t get past the texture of squid that’s not fried. SIGH! As for the drinks, my fav was the La Capital. A close second was the PicaPepino, but sometimes the Serrano shined through a little too much.

Overall, Andres’ creations are top notch. Even when I don’t like the dish, you know that he took no shortcuts in the creation and execution of them.