Tequila Tuesday – Familia Camarena Reposado Tequila Review

Disclosure:

After all the online buzz created by their “Taco Truck” campaign, I had been eagerly awaiting the release of Familia Camarena Tequila in the Baltimore area. Luckily we were recently sent a review bottle of their Reposado tequila. Camarena is a sixth-generation tequila from the Jalisco Highlands. It is 100% blue agave and retails for  $25 or less for a 750ml bottle.

Description:

This is what the Camarena website has to say about the Reposado:

We let our Familia Camarena 100% Blue Agave Reposado Tequila rest in American oak barrels for 60 days before bottling. The aging process lends a touch of soft spice to the natural sweetness of the agave in our Reposado Tequila. The result is a smooth, refined barrel aged Tequila with an elegant, robust finish.

Visuals:

Very light, pale-gold, straw-like color. Light consistency, leaves very little steaks in the glass.

Nose:

Delicate, vanilla, some wood and brown sugar notes, but the 100% blue agave definitely makes its presence known. Very surprising for a tequila at this price point.

Tasting Notes:

Again, the agave dominates, but there is also a lot of wood character. Smooth, some brown-sugar and baking spice notes.

Camarena Orange

recipe by Familia Camarena

• 1 oz. Familia Camarena Reposado Tequila
• ½ oz. Grand marnier® (We ran out so we subbed Mandarine Napoleon)
• 3 oz. Orange juice
• ½ oz. Fresh squeezed Lime juice

Glass: Cocktail

Garnish: Orange peel

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish.

Taco Truck Campaign

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, Familia Camarena launched a very innovative viral marketing campaign that seized upon the growing food truck fad and unleashed a series of “Taco Trucks” into cities around the United States. I asked the people at Camarena for some information on the origin of this idea:

The Taco Truck came to fruition in LA in the summer of 2010 when Camarena was just beginning to launch in the US. It was such a huge success that for 2011 we added two additional trucks and made the campaign nationwide. To date, the Taco Trucks have spent time in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, LA, Houston, and NYC. Next, we’re headed to Chicago, San Francisco, and Austin.Each city features a local chef who creates a regionally inspired menu.  Every menu item on every truck is infused with Camarena Tequila.

The idea of the Taco Truck is to bring that family focused feeling surrounding our tequila to our food and to our fans. We are as excited and passionate about the food infused with our tequila as the tequila itself. We’ve been so lucky to work with such amazing chefs in each market and have been so pleased to be so warmly received in every city we visited thus far.

Empanadas de Platano (Houston)

Makes 12 empanadas

• 1 whole semi-ripe plantain, ends trimmed and cut in 3 (see note)
• 3 3/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 3 3/4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 teaspoons of refried beans
• 2 tablespoons Camarena Tequila Blanco
• 6 ounces chorizo, cooked
• 6 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 cup olive oil

Put plantain pieces in a large saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring water to a boil and cook plantain until the skin breaks and the plantain is plump and softer, about 20 minutes. Allow the plantain to cool down. Once cooled, peel off the skin and cut it in half, lengthwise and scrap off the tiny black seeds using a spoon.

Put the plantain in the food processor. Add the flour and sugar alternating and 1 teaspoon at a time. Process until a soft, uniform dough forms. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead the dough until it is homogenous throughout.

Divide the dough into 1 1/2 inch dough balls, the size of a ping-pong ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball to about 1/16 inch thick, keeping the circular shape.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan. Add the beans and stir in the tequila. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

To assemble the empanadas:

Spread 1 teaspoon of refried beans onto the center of the tortilla without spreading onto the edges. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the cooked chorizo and queso fresco. Carefully fold in one side of the plantain dough on top of the other half and seal the empanadas. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan sprinkled with flour or cooking spray to prevent the empanadas from sticking. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough balls.

To cook:

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan. Place the empanadas in the oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a bowl or sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Note: If the plantain is too ripe, the dough will be too soft. Add more flour to achieve a workable dough.

Familia Camarena Silver Tequila Pickled Jalapeños (Orlando)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh jalapenos, washed, sliced into thin rings
• ½ cup Familia Camarena Silver Tequila
• 1 ½ cups water 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 medium size carrots, peeled, sliced thin on the bias

Procedure:

1. Place the jalapeños in a non-­‐reactive container with a tight fitting lid.
2. In a non-­‐ reactive sauce pan over medium to high heat, bring the tequila, water, white vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, bay leaf, garlic, black peppercorns and carrots to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour over the sliced jalapeno peppers. Let the peppers and mixture cool. Once cooled down, place the lid on the container and place in the refrigerator. Jalapeños can be used within two days of brining, however, the longer they marinade the better they become.
4. The jalapeños can last up to 3 weeks tightly covered in the refrigerator. The carrots are awesome as well!

Note: The brine is an excellent quick marinade for pork!