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As a self-proclaimed margarita connoisseur who is always on the hunt for the best margarita in town, you can imagine how excited I was to hear about the Margarita Masterclasses that Brisbane restaurant, Poca Madre, is running every Thursday during February to celebrate Margarita Month. Right up my alley!
Led by the very knowledgeable Carlos Hurworth, from The Church of Agave, the masterclass takes guests through a fun evening of entertainment, education and of course, margaritas. Carlos aims to educate guests on the beauty of tequila and to show you just how good it can be when you stop thinking about the infamous story you probably have about a night out drinking bad tequila (admit it … most of us have one of those).
In a preview of the classes, Carlos walked us through the significance of the agave plant in Mexican culture and led us through a guided tasting of three Teremana tequilas – Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo. Teremana’s small-batch tequilas pair beautifully with Cointreau, the sweert/bitter orange liqueur a cornerstone of the classic Margarita.
Carlos explained a lovely ritual to go through when drinking your tequila, starting with a gentle inhalation of its aromas. You don’t want to stick your nose in the glass and take a big deep breath, rather, with your mouth slightly open inhale just slightly as you swirl the glass gently. You’ll be surprised what you might smell, and you’ll pick up on different aromas with each different tequila.
The next step in the ritual before you get to take is a sip, is “un besito” or a little kiss in Spanish, having the tequila just gently touching the lips. I was amazed at how much this impacted on the experience of that first sip, which of course is the next step. The tequilas we tasted were all so smooth to drink and each one was quite a different experience. I think we all found it difficult to decide on a favourite with all of them having such a distinct flavour.
As part of the Margarita Masterclass experience, guests also get to make their own guacamole, Poce Madre style. You’re given all the right accompaniments and seasonings to throw into your mortar and pestle so you can make it perfectly to your taste.
And of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without a final margarita. Guests are given all the right tools and ingredients to shake up a delicious marg, and you get to go home with the goodies and a recipe card so you can recreate the classic cocktail at home. After sampling many margaritas around the world, I’m well qualified to tell you that Poca Madre’s Margarita is a good one!
The whole evening is a fun event and you’ll definitely leave a little more knowledgeable about the spirit, and you’ll certainly have a nicer story about tequila to store in the memory bank.
Tickets for the Margarita Masterclass are $75. Classes run on February 6, 13, 20, and 27, starting at 6:30pm. Each session includes a Cointreau Margarita on arrival, guacamole-making, a guided tasting of Teremana tequila, and the chance to craft your own signature Margarita. Guests also take home a small bottle of Cointreau, a bartender cocktail kit, and a chic tote bag.
Poce Madre is also running some other fun specials for Margarita Month, including Spritz drinks, Bottomless Taco Tuesdays, lunch specials, Teremana Margarita Towers, and a Valentine’s dinner with special beverage package. Guests who order a Cointreau Margarita during the month will have the chance to win prizes, including tote bags, Cointreau-branded fans, and 50ml bottles of the iconic orange liqueur.
If you go:
Poca Madre
Shop 15, Little Stanley Street,
South Brisbane Qld 4101
Australia
Tel: +61 (0)7 3846 5555
www.pocamadre.com.au
Elly was a guest of Poca Madre for this preview of Margarita Month. For more of our posts on margarita, visit the link here.
