An Arizona-based food, beverage and travel writer since 2008, I launched this website in 2015 to document my culinary adventures, beverage escapades, gardening endeavors, and travel in the Phoenix area and beyond. Also find a comprehensive calendar of Phoenix-area food and drink-related events on my Events page.
Pig and Pickle's Mezcal Maggie (all photos by Jenelle Bonifield)
No tequila cocktail is as beloved as the margarita. While the tasty Tequila Sunrise or Paloma have their fans, it’s the margarita that has been crowned America’s favorite cocktail. For its legion of devotees, the margarita may conjure up white-sand beaches or lively cantinas. In Scottsdale, Arizona, I think of poolside cabanas, Sonoran Desert sunsets, and our wonderful Mexican restaurants.
An article I wrote for the Experience Scottsdale website of the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau celebrates the margarita at ten of my favorite locations with photos by Food & Lifestyles. Read that feature here to learn more about these colorful libations and the history of the margarita.
Rico's American Grill at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort recently launched monthly Mixology Classes to "Mix, Mingle, Nibble" and, libation lover that I am, I was happy to be invited to the kick-off event. Tequila was the star at this first class hosted by mixologist Sara Powers and executive chef Rebecca Tillman.
Chef Tillman told us how she was inspired by the fresh herbs and vegetables grown on the property in the creation of the new bar program, while Sara explained the history of tequila and how it's grown, harvested, and distilled. We sipped on Don Julio blanco (silver), reposado (rested) and añejo (aged) tequilas, as she described the aging process.
We were also served excellent fish tacos, a perfect accompaniment to the tequila cocktails we would be enjoying.
Sara told us that this would be an interactive class where we would be shaking cocktails and infusing a tequila to take home - "you're going to make an infusion that we have here, with strawberries, jalapeño, and Cabeza tequila." We also enjoyed Rico's infusion in a refreshing Strawberry-Jalapeño Margarita as Sara demonstrated how to make it.
A slice of creamy cheesecake with strawberry-basil sauce was the perfect pairing.
Next, we referred to our recipe cards as Sara described two more cocktails and invited guests to join her at the bar. First was the crowd-pleasing Decadent Peach with Maestro Dobel tequila, peach liqueur, fresh lemon juice, agave nectar, muddled sage leaf, and cinnamon syrup, which may have been my favorite of the night. I then tried my hand at the delightful Headstrong combining Cabeza tequila with elderflower liqueur, blueberry puree, fresh lime juice, and Thai Basil.
Mix, Mingle and Nibble we did, and before we knew it, a fun and entertaining hour had flown by. The next event takes place Thursday, October 27th from 5:30 to 6:30, and will feature bourbon. Each class costs $30 and is well worth it, providing hands-on instruction, multiple well-crafted cocktails, recipe cards, and light bites for each person. Rico's American Grille is located at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort. To make your reservation, call (602) 997-5850.
