Jen Queen follows the Tequila Trail to victory

Seth Laufman and Jen Queen
- Photo by Kinsee Morlan

A few years ago, I stopped by the Tijuana Tequila Expo, and let’s just say that what was meant to be a dignified tasting ended up in hours of dry heaves. Don’t drink coffee before being handed dozens of seemingly harmless thimble-sized plastic cups filled with mescal and tequila, no matter how tired you are. It won’t end well. That’s not to say I wouldn’t go to the expo again (it’s happening on Revolución at Seventh Street from 1 to 11 p.m. Oct. 12 through 16), but it’s a much more raucous experience than I had at the recent Tequila Trail event.

Part of the annual Spirits of Mexico festival (full disclosure: CityBeat was a sponsor), the relatively tame Tequila Trail came with a wristband and a map and left attendees to find about a dozen different Old Town venues to sample tequilas and spirits like Vitzo Bacanora Cream, a wonderfully strange concoction that tastes like a smokier, more ballsy Baileys, and Don Cuco Sotol, another good, smoky spirit that was being pimped as “Mexican whiskey.”

Hands down, the stop on the trail was the Cosmopolitan Hotel, where local bartenders like Jen Queen, Dustin Haarstad and Seth Laufman were on hand, mixing up both their own and other people’s recipes submitted for round one of the Solerno Liqueur Cocktail Challenge.

Queen, of Blind Tiger Cocktail Co., ultimately won the competition (and $1,000) with her refreshing Save My Sol cocktail (Tres Agaves Blanco, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Maraschino, lemon and mint). I helped judge the finals last Wednesday night, and, for me, Laufman’s edgy Chile Piña Buck (reposado tequila, Solerno, fresh lime, simple syrup, ginger beer and sherry with a pineapple / serrano-pepper foam on top) was the night’s edgiest and tastiest contender.

Laufman, by the way, will work at Se Hotel’s new Saltbox bar and restaurant, which is scheduled to open Sept. 23. Fresh from New York City, mixologist Erin Williams will head the cocktail program at Saltbox, so, with those two behind the bar, you should add it to your list of places to get a mighty-fine drink.