Take A Tequila Taste Adventure At The Table Bay

Inspired by the quality of craft tequila, The Table Bay Food & Beverage team brings another cosmopolitan experience to guests with titillating Tequila and Tapas pairings in March.

Enthusiasts can explore premium tequilas paired with food and become tequila-tasting masters at the Tequila and Tapas Masterclasses being staged as a prelude to the Cape Town Jazz Festival on the 27th and 28th of the month.

“March is the time to play with Tequila and Tapas at The Table Bay,” says Food & Beverage Manager, Marc Weber, adding that tequila is the “drink of choice” for this year’s Cape Town Jazz Festival.

For the Tequila and Tapas MasterClass experience, The Table Bay has partnered with South African liquor distributor, Henry Tayler & Ries, to select the most appropriate tequila varieties to compliment Chef’s choice of tapas. The selected tequilas are from Destilería Sierra which manufactures seven different kinds of tequila. The differences between them lie in the way they are manufactured and stored.

One of the varieties to test, taste and pair at The Table Bay is Sierra Tequila Reposado which is traditionally distilled twice in copper pot stills. It matures for nine months in toasted oak barrels to give it a shimmering golden colour. Reposado is the favourite variety of tequila among Mexicans. The fresh, irresistible fruitiness of Sierra Tequila Reposado carries delicate notes of vanilla, caramel, and herbs. A recipient of numerous international awards, Sierra Tequila Reposado’s diversity of aromas makes it especially complex.

Another on the list to try is Sierra Extra-Añejo. It is intense, with elegant fruit flavours, spice aromas and a smooth, chocolate finish. The dark-amber Extra-Añejo tequila is double distilled and aged in French limousine oak barrels for up to four years for a richer, more complex flavour.

Also in the cast is Sierra Fumado, a crisp and fruity tequila with a subtle smokiness and a kick of chili. The way in which it is made is key to its delicious flavour. After cooking the agaves, they are put into a stainless steel container and placed this on top of a brazier that burns mesquite and Mexican logs. The pot is perforated, infusing the agaves to achieve an array of crisp fruit flavours paired with smooth, subtle smokiness.

On the tapas tasting plate are innovative concoctions such as cumin enhanced chicken tacos with tangy mango salsa; freshly caught Swordfish ceviche in shot glasses, spicy pineapple and cilantro pops, and slow braised beef chili con carne.

Join the Tequila MasterClass before venturing to the Cape Town Jazz Festival on Friday 27 March from 17h30 to 18h30 and on Saturday, 28 March from 15h00 to 16h00.  The cost per head is R200 and includes four tequilas and four innovative tapas.

Throughout March, explore the ways to pair tequila with a tapas tasting plate at The Table Bay’s Union Bar. The Table Bay’s expert team is on hand to offer advice on picking a tequila or a cocktail to compliment the plate. The cost is R200 for the testing plate of tapas. Drinks will be charged separately.