1921 Tequila blanco paired with pozole verde

After attending the “Tequila 101” three course/three tequila sampling at El Vitral Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Lounge in Downtown San Diego, I have been thinking about tequila and food pairings for Thanksgiving. Will it work? You bet! While I’m sure most of you reading this won’t want to stray from some great wine or beers with your turkey feast, I hope you will consider offering some premium tequila with at least one of the your thanksgiving courses. If you are attending a feast as a guest, consider bringing a bottle of tequila to share.

When drinking a flight of tequilas, you always start with a blanco and finish with an añejo or extra añejo – youngest to oldest. The same rule goes for tequila and food pairings.

Silver (blanco) tequila generally has a somewhat astringent smell with a very sharp, clean and crisp taste. It pairs well with seafood and citrus, and a blanco with strong peppercorn flavor will work nicely with an acidic salad dressing (balsamic vinegar, or citrus or raspberry vinaigrette, for example).

Azuñia blanco

Republic, 901 Silver, or el Jimador blancos with an Italian salad with fruits and nuts, or with a warm goats cheese salad. Want something a little more daring? Try pairing Azuñia or Don Julio blanco with roasted poblano peppers. (Dallas Baking Examiner Vanessa Urzua shows you how to roast poblanos.) At the recent El Vitral visit, I had a pozole verde in a poblano broth that paired wonderfully with 1921 blanco (pictured above).

A traditional Thanksgiving meal of roasted or grilled turkey or ham, with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and cranberry sauce is just perfect to pair with a reposado tequila. The oaky, nutty, and mildly spicy flavors of reposado work extremely well with poultry and pork. Try pairing Partida, Azuñia, or Muchote reposado with your traditional dinner. Want to go Mexican? Minneapolis Food Examiner Christopher Lower has an awesome recipe for turkey enchiladas and cranberry salsa that would pair wonderfully with Angel Bendito reposado.
 

Don Pilar añejo

The only thing left is dessert! Pumpkin or squash pie is the perfect dessert to pair with a wonderfully rich and complex añejo tequila. The cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in these pies will bring out the flavors of the oak barrels used in the aging process. It will also add complexity to the chocolate, cinnamon, hazelnut, and other spices detected in many añejos. Cabo Wabo, Aha Toro, or Herradura añejo pair perfectly with the traditional pumpkin pie, or try this honey pumpkin pie recipe from Easy Meals Examiner Liz Brooks.

Want to go Mexican for dessert? Try Don Pilar añejo paired with flan, a traditional Mexican custard with caramel sauce. Dust a little cinnamon and nutmeg on top of the flan to compliment the flavors in Don Pilar añejo.

If you prefer a liquid dessert, try the Mexican Apple Pie or Mexican Pumpkin Pie - two original cocktail recipes from the Tequila Examiner.