Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting is The Good Life

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The ‘Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting’ event at The Woodlands Country Club, Palmer Course, this past Thursday was exceptional to say the least. The weather was incredible as the Sun started its evening dip, and even wearing a jacket was very comfortable given the low humidity. The winds held off, so eating the Latin-inspired samples and tasting the different Tequilas on the clubs terrace was a truly wonderful experience, and with the perfect light it was worthy of a sitting by Pierre-Auguste Renior; ‘Bal du moulin de la Galette,’ comes to mind. The event is a ramp-up to the upcoming annual Woodlands Wine & Food Week’s 2025, put on by Constance McDerby and Food & Vine Time Productions. Tequila and Food vendors were intermingled with one another allowing visitors to the WCC’s Legacy Ballroom, to pick and choose between their proteins and agave inspired creations, and perhaps hum a few bars of the celebrated, da Dada da da Daa … Tequila, released by The Champs in 1958.

As usual, event sponsor H-E-B knocked it out of the park with their Gourmet Nacho Bar, creating a filling Nacho bowl with either beef or chicken, queso, salsa, guacamole, and a black bean corn salad, all topped on a base of tortilla chips. It was essentially a meal in itself, and was a great hit amongst event goers. Kudos go out to H-E-B Chefs with Cooking Connections Regional Manager Brent Hurter, and his team for creating an inspiring dish that was a great starter. H-E-B loves to offer dishes which are made with in-store products that can easily be recreated at home with a little time and effort. The Woodlands Country Club kitchen’s Executive Sous Chef Juan Barletta, offered a innovative little side, a Short Rib Flauta, truly upscaling the fried cylindrical tortilla, or flute; into a upscale club worthy dish, that certainly pleased with its jicama pineapple dressing, poblano verde sauce, and crushed Mexican corn. The sweet meat was a great combo with its shell, and undoubtedly brought second attempts as visitors made their rounds and rounds. Both H-E-B and TWCC set the mood for the entire tequila festival, and it only got better.

In all there were dozens of craft tequila selections from A to Z, and specialty cocktails on hand that were enjoyed by all, each having their own distinct characteristics that set them apart from each other. That’s the beauty of America, if you think about it, your will be done. The beauty of the Tequilas on-hand, were their sipability. There was no need to throw one back, like with the rougher Mezcal’s, and indeed the selections were of the higher quality very much suitable to the attendees. Of course, each brand like Agazul Tequilartesanal, Authentico Organic Tequila, Big Hat, 100% De Agave Bribon, Carlito’s Spirits, Milagro Tequila, Republic Tequila, Titanium Tequila, Tres Agaves, Volando Tequila, and Z Tequila, brought their A-Game, and even offered their own mixers, to further increase the enjoyment of their products with personalization.

Thistle Draftshop’s Shrimp Campechana, a Mexican seafood cocktail with shrimp, was a real hit in a bite. Described by owner Mary Thorn, as where a “Bloody Mary meets Pico,” it’s a zesty lil app with cocktail sauce, cilantro, onions, and a tortilla chip shovel just in case anything got stuck in the glass. Her booth was located on the northeast terrace with its great view of the golf course. Pastel Pizza, a Venezuela branded restaurant with a Spring location, has a knack for taking the timeless arepa and pizzafying it into a delicious bite size Pastelito filled with Italian or traditional Venezuelan themed ingredients. The first bite by itself tastes great, but is off the charts with the tartara sauce. Their Tequenos, which looked like a cheese filled egg roll, came complete with a verde sauce, and are equal to the task of being tasty and filling. Not bad for owners Juan and Rosa Rosales, who started their dream in 2016 from their apartment, then a food truck, and now brick and mortar stores with multiple locations. They even have desserts.

There were also plenty of companies offering enhancements to one’s Tequila experience bringing about new occasions to enjoy the drink. Bloody Revolution brought their entire arsenal of gourmet Bloody Mary mixes. H-E-B had their 1877 Mineral Water and Margaritas. Blue Ice brought their Russian tequilas, better known as Vodkas, with interesting selections involving potato, expresso, huckleberry, wheat, and lemonade. Seedlip, which is in the non-alcohol game, impressed with their ode to tequila, with their new Notas de Agave, which impressed with its hints Prickly Pear, zesty Lime, Vanilla, Damiana flower and Peppercorn; and was a breath of fresh air, as well as being vibrant and refreshing. Other players on hand were Candoni Italy and their wines; Casa Cobre and their Real Sangrita, a great mixer for those wishing to up their tequila game; Ritual Zero Proof came with their non-alcoholic, low cal, zip sugar, liquor replacement for those who need to shy away from alcohol, but still want to enjoy the benefits of the company of which Tequila aficionados partake. Even a small Belgium brewery, Delirium, brought a selection of their award winning beers, which truly impressed.

A longtime proven fixture in The Woodlands, Escalante’s Fine Tex-Mex & Tequila, offered tasty Chicken and Beef Empanadas, with a tangy Creamy Cilantro Sauce. The restaurant has been pleasing palates locally and in Houston for over 30 years. Back Table Kitchen & Bar had a tasty little app of Pork Belly Burnt Ends, with roasted Shishito peppers, macha, sweet soy, scallops and sesame. The Chef’s Kitchen by Chefs United TX, a combined effort from J Bistro Style and Mason’s Creative Catering, brought their Taco de Papa with Spicy Chimichurri Sauce, a tiny taco with a potato/Oaxaca cheese mixture. It’s a great combination, and who knew that potato and cheese could stand alone in taco form? And when combined with the sauce, it's one for the stratosphere. One entry in the dessert realm was The Cheesecake Queen, Elaine Bailey, who was fresh from her Rookie Award Grand Champion 2025, for her Key Lime Cheesecake, which was a perfect dessert bite. It was hard to leave the booth with just one tasty morsel, and who knows how many made multiple trips for the small and incredibly made concoction.

This year’s Tequila Forum Seminar was headed by Drew Pierce, a seasoned wine veteran with Tres Agaves Tequila, who really impressed with his lecture on ‘Pure Spirits: Exploring Organic & Additive Free Tequila.’ Drew is Director of Spirits for the wine powerhouse Trinchero Family Estates, and delved into TFE’s commitment to quality when it comes to their products, especially Tres Agaves Tequila, and their operations in the tequila making region of Mexico. The Zero Additive, Non-GMO, Organic angle, was a revelation to the health aspects of Tres Agaves Tequila. Soft on the gut, and mind, it breaks down cleanly in the body, and when enjoyed in moderation, makes for a good life. Instead of a soda or coffee around 3pm daily, Drew takes a few sips of Tres Agaves Tequila, which is not bad, especially when you learn that it’s good for you with its proven production methods. There were four Tequilas offered for sipping, Tequila Blanco, Tequila Resposdo, Tequila Añejo, and Tequila Extra Añejo, as well as several mixers on hand to personalize the taste of each tequila.

The festival of Tequila concluded with the ‘Party Wagon’ Raffle benefiting The Woodlands Art Council. TWAC is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year with their upcoming Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival starting April 11th. The Party Wagon featured over $1.5K in beverages, bar swag, and other little goodies provided by the vendors. Many thanks go out to the sponsors to this year’s Tequila Tasting: H-E-B, Bayway Cadillac, Renewal By Andersen, The Woodlands Country Club, Woodlands Online and Speed Pro. You have to hand it to Constance McDerby and Food & Vine Time Productions, which kicks off their 21st season on May 28th, with ‘Wine Around The World Wednesday,’ at the The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.

Website for information and tickets: wineandfoodweek.com

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