Tuesday night's third annual Tequila & Tamales at Pearl Bar was a great success, with more than 200 people showing up to taste tamales and tequila cocktails from five restaurants.
Every single tamale I tried was delicious and worthy of a spot on your Christmas Eve dinner table (or a table any other time of year). It was clear from the outset, though, that two places were the front-runners in their categories.
Check out the slideshow from Tequila & Tamales for more great photos.
I kept seeing people with pink-hued beverages in their hands, sipping a little too quickly on the libation that I later found out was from El Gran Malo. Owner Steve Sharma was there explaining the mix to people waiting eagerly in a long line for a glass of the cocktail that you could smell even before you got to the table manned by the the teams from El Gran Malo and its new sister bar/eatery, El Big Bad.
El Gran Malo, famous for its tequila infusions, pulled out all the stops to make a tasty, holiday-themed beverage containing cranberry-infused Agavales tequila. The drink -- The Champ 3, El Hat Trick -- mixed the cranberry tequila with churro tequila (infused with cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla beans), some lemon juice, lime juice and agave nectar. It was garnished with a dried cranberry on a wintergreen essence toothpick, which is what everyone could smell from across the room. Definitely festive.
In tallying up your votes, we found that El Gran Malo's tasty and multi-dimensional cocktail was your clear favorite. El Gran Malo and El Big Bad have both decided to make it a special this week, so stop by either spot and try the winning "El Hat Trick" drink.
