Audio By Carbonatix
Tequila is more than the Mexican Jägermeister, and Monday night’s
media tasting event of Tequila Familia Camarena proved that. Six
writers and/or bloggers from various local media outlets were invited
to partake of the mixing and tasting of four tequila-based cocktails
at Hotel ZaZa. The ebullient account manager quickly took us through
the history of the Camarena family.
They co-founded the town of Arandas in the highland region of
Jalisco 250 years ago and were among the first to plant blue agave
plants in the region. They’ve been producing tequila since 1938.
The family tends to more than 3 million blue agave plants, some grown
as high at 7,700 feet above sea level, under the supervision of
master distiller Miguel Cedeño Cruz. All the farming and harvesting
is done by manually and involves no pesticides. In March 2010, the
family launched its new line of 100 percent blue agave Silver and Reposado
tequila in Nevada and California, the latter with a taco truck. In
September, the smooth spirit made for mixing arrived in Texas. Great.
The usual spiel out of the way, it was time for the main event. But
wait? What? A taco truck?
Yep, the tequila’s introduction in Los Angeles included a taco
truck. It was there, in a city famed for its taco trucks, that the
company commissioned the Camarena Taco Truck with Recess Eatery’s
chef Sevan Azarian in the mobile kitchen. The chef created
tequila-infused tacos, like the Camarena
Carne Asada tacos, which were given away during the
truck’s 120 stops.
Sure, the drinks, like the Copa de Arandas (reposado, blanc and
sweet vermouth, fresh lemon juice, Italian amaro, ginger ale and a
mint garnish), we comically mixed under the direction of our host
were deceptively light and drinkable. Each drink proved that the
repeated imbibing of such cocktails could easily lead to dancing and
celebratory ay ay ays. However, the success of the tequila
producer’s taco truck and the current improbability of such an
endeavor here left me wanting, distraught. Hopefully, the success of
Sunday’s
Arts District Block Party with the presence of several trucks, among
them the Chi’Lantro’s Korean-Mexican tacos, and
the outcry for permanent gourmet food trucks and trailers will help
the cause of mobile-food-vending fans.
