Tequila and Mole Tasting
We visited Sazon, one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Fe, for a tequila tasting - or more accurately, an “Introduction to the Spirits of Mexico.”
Last summer in Mexico City, we tasted pulque, a traditional drink made from fermented agave sap. So we were interested to learn more about modern-day agave spirits. Another draw was that we both love margaritas, especially when made with good tequila.
The tequila tasting was followed by a mole tasting. The moles are what we remember most vividly from our first visit to Sazon back in 2021. A selection of moles and tiny tortillas was served as an amuse bouche. We each chose our favorite mole, and the server recommended which protein(s) paired best with that mole. It was innovative, clever, and delicious!
To our surprise, we were joined by Sazon’s James Beard Award-winning chef Fernando Olea! We had hoped to meet him, and felt honored that he stayed with us for the entire tasting. We asked how old his mole is, and he said he wasn’t impressed with the concept of aged mole (“sourdough starter is alive, and mole is dead”). We reassured him that even after tasting the famous mole madre at Pujol, we thought his Sazon moles were just as delicious. Chef gave us all a gift - the recipe for one of his moles. This made Steve very happy!
The spirits we tasted:
Hacienda Chihuahua Plata Sotol - Sotol is made from desert spoon plants wild-harvested from the Chihuahuan Desert. Long thought to be a type of agave plant, desert spoon is now known to be related to asparagus. Sotol has a lower alcohol content than tequila. It had a delicate, vegetal flavor. Nice.
Sunora Bacanora Plata - Bacanora is made from agave from the state of Sonora, Mexico. This was roasted underground for two days, fermented, and triple-distilled. It had a lightly smoky flavor and is relatively smooth. This was Maria’s favorite.
Jose Cuervo Tequila Plata - This widely distributed tequila seemed like an odd choice for a tasting, but our host explained that it is made from 100% blue Weber agave with no additives, and therefore was included for comparison. It was strong and sharp - neither one of us liked this one.
Casamigos Tequila Blanco - Many tequilas contain additives, which is permitted by the tequila regulatory council. Created by George Clooney and friends, this tequila was very smooth, with vanilla and citrus flavors. Maria gave this a thumbs up, but Steve gave it a thumbs down.
Ilegal Mezcal Joven - This small-batch mezcal is roasted underground for one or two weeks, then fermented and double-distilled. It had a moderately smoky flavor. This was Steve’s favorite.
The moles we tasted:
Mole Poblano - Poblano and other chiles, sweetened with raisins.
New Mexican Mole - Created by Chef Olea to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Santa Fe. Contains red chile, apricots, roasted pecans, pinon nuts, and white chocolate.
Mole Verde - Tomatillo, spinach, jalapeno chile, and spices.
Mole de Cacahuate - A traditional recipe from ancient times that includes peanuts.
Mole Coloradito - One of Chef Olea’s traditional family recipes. Aguajillo chile, arbol chile, tomato, garlic, and more.
For any friends who are curious to learn more, here’s a wonderful piece about Santa Fe and Chef Olea:
