There has been much anticipation awaiting the launch of the Hacienda de La Flor tequila line by Chef Marcela and Antonio Valladolid. Yesterday afternoon, Searsucker in downtown San Diego held an intimate soft launch for their Organic Hacienda de La Flor brand. The absolutely beautiful bottles of tequila lined the bar and surrounding areas, and before we knew it, the restaurant slowly started to fill up with close family, friends, and press.
We were greeted with a crafted cocktail made especially for the event. Local mixologist Jen Queen wanted to create a cocktail that didn’t mask the natural flavors of the tequila. She used prickly pear, with an added hint of reduced Habanero syrup and Rosemary. The color of the cocktail itself was absolutely stunning, I felt as if I just kept looking at it with a dreamy stare. Each sip had a slight tartness, with the heat of the chile coming out in the back of your throat. Most importantly though, the tequila was still the star. With this taste, I couldn’t wait to experience the rest of the line. I would love for this cocktail to frequent my life a lot more often.
The cocktails and conversation were flowing, as Marcela and Antonio Valladolid took front and center. It truly is something special to hear about their “labor of love”, and craftsmanship that went into creating their brand and line of tequila. The tequila itself is 100 percent Organic, and each classification is crafted with excellence.
The time had come to taste the different types of tequila, and with that came a couple of small bites from Chef Jo Jo to accompany them. We started off with the young Blanco tequila, and carried on with the Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo. The small plates started with a Hamachi Crudo with spicy Watermelon sauce, and was followed by braised Oxtail sopes (One of my favorites of the day.), Fried Green tomatoes, and Pork belly with mole. Each pairing worked together as a symphony, between the different tequilas and food options.
I loved each tequila that I tasted, and picking a favorite was a bit difficult. Okay, so the Anejo may have come out a bit over the top of the rest for me. With that being said though, I would gladly enjoy any of the bottles at any time. As I mentioned before, the bottles are gorgeous, and I am happy to have one gracing the counter tops of my kitchen as we speak.
We wish you absolute success with the Hacienda de La Flor Tequila line, we know that it will be a hit!