Not everyone thinks about drinking wine when they eat spicy foods such as Mexican, Thai or Indian, but the truth is that wine can work quite well with these types of food.  The mistake that most people make with spicy foods is that they choose the wrong wines, not that wine can’t or doesn’t pair with the heat.  Below is a four step process to finding a tall glass with a stem next to your upcoming plate of tacos, enchiladas or chicken en mole.

The first thing that one has to do is abandon all thoughts of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though these are the most popular white and red wines in the world respectively, they are not suited to spicy foods at all.  While there are some gifted sommeliers out there that can pair these two highly popular wines with foods containing chiles, it is not advisable unless you’ve tasted both the food and the wine beforehand.  Essentially, oaky wines like Chardonnay (although many other wines are oaky), and tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon (certainly not the exclusive rights-holder to tannin) are the worst possible wines to pair with spicy foods.  They literally make both the food and the wine taste worse.

The second thing on the checklist is giving up the notion that slightly sweet or off-dry wine is unsophisticated, or kid’s stuff.  The fact is that we chefs often pair slightly sweet elements with spicy foods in order to temper that chile heat.  This is evident in the classic pairing of sweet, ripe tomatoes with chiles that is ubiquitous to Mexican cooking.  Off-dry wines can function in a similar way, and provide the palate with a refreshing cleanse from the heat of the chiles.

Third, keep the alcohol low.  Alcohol can set the mouth aflame after some chiles.  While this can be a highly pleasant sensation with tequila, highlighting some of the tequila’s peppery flavors, it really backfires with wine.  Alcohol in wines tends to taste “hot” and bitter when paired with chiles.

Lastly, don’t forget the bubbles.  Sparkling wines literally wash the palate clean.  Think of them almost like little scrub brushes which rinse away the chile heat in a physical way.  You’re not limited to expensive French champagne here either, in fact save the fancy stuff for something else.  Prosecco and Moscato from Italy, Cava from Spain, and all manner of New World sparklers can do the trick just fine for a quarter of the price.  Again, be bold and try an off-dry sparkling wine with the spiciest of foods and you’ll find that you might just be able to take that much more heat.

Some suggestions to successful spicy food and wine pairing include Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Muscadet, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Vinho Verde for whites.  For reds try Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Spanish Rioja, Australian Shiraz, Syrah and young, California Zinfandel.  Next time you’re at Barrio, don forget that we have all of these wines and many more. We have hand-selected them to pair with the food there and we really want more people to enjoy this unique experience, so give it a try.

Developed in 1543 by a Swiss immigrant, Cachaca is the most popular distilled beverage in Brazil and is the product of the distillation of fermented sugarcane juice. The alcohol strength is usually from 38% - 80% by volume and like Rum, there are two varieties, unaged (white) and aged (gold). With only 1% of the produced Cachaca being exported it is very hard to find the gold variety.

International Cachaca Day was started by the Sociedade Brasileira da Cachaca, a Brazilian government organization. It was created to commemorate June 12th 1744: the day when Portugal, then the colonial authority in Brazil, outlawed the production and selling of Cachaca.

In the United States, Cachaca is often used as the main spirit in many ‘tropical style’ drinks including the Caipirinha (pronounced ‘KIE-PUR-REEN-YAH’).

• 2 ounces Cachaca
• 1/2 - 3/4 of quartered lime
• 2 barspoons of sugar (or 3/4 ounce simply syrup) muddle with ice
• shake with crushed ice
• pour entire contents into old fashioned glass

Here at Barrio, we feature 6 different Cachaca Options; Ypioca, Boca Loca, Cachaca 51, Leblon, Pirassununga 51 and Cachaca Samba. You can be sure Bar Manager Casey Robison will concoct a fabulous, special Cachaca drink just for the day! Word on the streets is he is going to utilize an apple and cinnamon puree!

The great thing about most of the drinks at Barrio is that they also come with a great story. I asked our Bar Manager, Casey Robison, to offer a good one up for our blog…without hesitation, he went with our version of the Tequila Sunrise.

Our recipe hails from the Agua Caliente resort and racetrack of the late 1920’s. A sleepy little area 4 miles south of Tijuana, Agua Caliente came to prominence in 1927 when a hot-shot San Diego businessman and real estate developer named Baron Long turned the sleepy mineral springs area into a bustling resort complete with a hotel, restaurants, casino, nightclub and luxurious racetrack. Since prohibition was in full swing in the United States, this new resort area became a very popular place for American tourists looking for fun and frivolity.

The original Tequila Sunrise recipe was used routinely at Agua Caliente as a hangover remedy and sold for 25 cents. During the 1960’s, the drink made a revival in the United States at which point orange juice was added. As you see below, the original recipe did not have orange juice. Most agree it was simpler and had more flavor.

Salud

In a Collins glass:

• 1.5oz El Jimador Reposado
• 1oz Simple Syrup
• 1.5oz Lemon Juice
• Fill with Soda Water

Float:

• .25oz House Made Grenadine
• .25oz Creme De Cassis

Tequila is arguably the most popular and misunderstood Mexican alcohol. It is a spirit made from the fermented and distilled agave plant. While there are over 400 types of Agave, Tequila is made only from the Blue Agave plant. Even though U.S. and Mexican experts both state that Tequila can be produced in any region of Mexico, it is traditionally made in the northern and northwestern areas of Mexico, known as the “Tequila” are of Mexico. This area is located in the Western Mexico state of Jalisco.

The Blue Agave harvest is a centuries old tradition and is done by men called “Jimadors”, who harvest the plants by hand, using a special knife called a “Coa”. Roughly 300 million Blue Agave plants are harvested each year to make Tequila and each “Pinta” (the pulp of the agave plant) weighs in the neighborhood of 40-70lbs.

While agave based alcohols have been around since the late 16th century, Tequila, as it is known today was first mass produced in the Tequila region, near Guadalajara, Mexico in the 1800’s.

Once distilled, the clear Tequila is left to age in oak barrels. The preferred barrels come from America, Canada and France. Typically, Tequila is aged in white oak though some distilleries use charred oak, similar to Bourbon or Scotch, or barrels previously occupied by other types of alcohol such as Whiskey or Wine.

The flavor profile of Tequila depends on many variables including region, sugar content or even how high above sea level the Blue Agave grew before it was harvested. Often times, older (Anejo) Tequilas will inherit distinct flavors from whatever barrels they were stored in as well as from the alcohol previously stored in the barrels.

Though the preferred and traditional way to drink Tequila is straight, it is also known as a very versatile spirit in which to mix cocktails. Many drink straight Tequila with salt and lime, though the more traditional Mexican way of imbibing Tequila is to alternately sip the Tequila and a non-alcoholic, tomato and citrus based mixture called Sangrita (translates to: “little blood”). This technique is widely popular in Jalisco.

The Tequilas of BARRIO fall into 3 main categories…

Blanco (White) or Plata (Silver): This is Tequila in its “purest” form. It can be bottled directly after distillation or settled in stainless steel tanks for up to 4 weeks, after which it is moved to oak barrels to begin the aging process.  Though, it can be held up to one more month in oak barrels and still be considered a Blanco. Any more than 2 months and it is considered a…

Reposado (Rested): This is a Tequila that has been settled in oak barrels for anywhere between 2 and 11 months before bottling. In this stage, the spirit begins to get a golden hue from the oak barrels and begins to show a good flavor balance between the sweet agave and the wood flavors of the barrels.

Anejo (Aged): As the name implies, Anejo Tequila is aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 1 year and as much as 3 years.  It is in this aging stage that the spirit darkens to a deep amber color and the flavors become deeper, richer and more complex. Anejo Tequilas are often compared to Scotch or Bourbon.

Our Blancos incldue Corzo, Cuervo Familia Reserva, Partida, Casa Noble, Aha Toro, Herradura, Patron and Gran Patron Platinum.

Our Reposados include Milagro, Corrolejo, Partida, Chinaco, Aha Toro, Chamucos, Cazadores, Sauza Hornitos, El Jimador, Hussong’s Agave and Gran Centanario.

Our Anejos include Milagro, Cuervo Familia Reserva, Partida, Chinaco, Casa Noble, Aha Toro, Don Julio 1942 and Sauza Commemorativo.

Some tasting notes from our lead bartender, Casey Robison…

The Don Julio 1942 is my favorite high-end Tequila. It has notes of toffee, caramel and vanilla. Unlike most Tequila, this one goes through a second distillation known as “Pot Still 6″ which gives it a more refined flavor that many other Tequilas. It is warm, smooth and magnificent.

The Milagro brands are some of my favorites. The Anejo is aged 18 months (technically making it an “extra anejo”), and it is triple distilled, making it one of the smoothest Tequilas available. It is aged in a single oak barrel giving it a distinctive light wood finish.

My favorite Reposado is Corralejo.  It is aged for 4 months in three separate barrels; American Oak, French Oak and White Oak. This gives it a very unique and distinctively earthy flavor that truly separates this brand from many other reposados.

Salud!

Ah, the eternal battle between “American Coke” and “Mexican Coke”….reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys. While our allegiances lean towards our South of the border Coke counterpart…luckily, you can get them both at Barrio!

The next logical question would then be…what is Mexican Coke? So glad you asked. Before the mid 1980’s, coca-cola used a cane sugar sweetener rather than the high-fructose corn syrup that is used today. Alas, rising costs drove U.S. bottlers to make the switch. However, Mexico still uses cane sugar with many discerning palates claiming that it has a sweeter, cleaner flavor.