First Annual Concurso de Margaritas a True Winner

by Jean Gerber and Mary Murrell

On Friday August 8th a sell-out crowd of guests gathered at Instituto Allende to sample margaritas made by local restaurants. Fourteen different restaurants joined the Concurso de Margaritas to compete for the best traditional and the best exotic version of the well known tequila based cocktail.

Competitors entered the category of their choice and several restaurants had multiple entries. First place prizes went to Hecho en Mexico for their traditional margarita and to Dila’s Restaurant for a mango and ginger exotic margarita. Their entries are now the official Concurso de Motor Sports margaritas and will be served in October when the Carrera Panamericana race cars and drivers visit San Miguel.

Chacho Medina, a well know figure in car racing in Mexico and a newscaster for TELEVISA, was the Master of Ceremonies for the Concurso de Margaritas. He spoke to the audience about the Carrera Panamericana road race coming up in October and his own personal support of the Motor Sports weekend to be held in San Miguel October 17, 18 and 19. Giving his speech first in English and then in Spanish, he emphasized the funds raised from all of the events in October will also go to CASA and Casita Linda to help children and families in the San Miguel area.

Gerie Bledsoe who brings the convoy of Carrera Panamericana race cars from the US to San Miguel told the audience why he and the other race car drivers want to help raise money for children in Mexico. “When we come here to race, all of us are touched by the faces of children we see as we travel across Mexico. People are so kind and warm and we just want to do something to give back to a country that is so welcoming to all of us.”

The Concurso de Margaritas was possible because of the creativity and generosity of the restaurants supporting the contest. Los Milagros had four entries, two traditional (lemon and lime) and two exotic flavors (pomegranate and tamarind). Casa Sierra Nevada combined cactus tuna with tomatillo to produce a red and green layered cocktail. The Restaurant used blueberry and pineapple to make an appealing version with blue on the bottom and the light colored pineapple on the top.

Casa Payo’s entry contained cocoanut and chocolate, certainly an unusual margarita which was sweet and creamy. Another favorite flavor, watermelon, was provided by Nirvana and attracted many tasters. Don Quijote’s entry was a beautiful red color from cactus tunas. Overall the exotic flavors included pomegranate, mango, pineapple, blueberry, tamarind, watermelon, cactus tuna, tomatillo and kiwi.

Perhaps the most unusual entry was the “electric margarita” from Bacco Restaurant. Owner Ricardo Sautto infused his tequila with chilcuague, a plant in the heliopsis family. Chilcuague grows in the northern part of Guanajuato and Ricardo learned about it from his family. It has antibacterial and anesthetic effects and the prehispanic indigenous people of Mexico used it for problems in the mouth and throat. The electric margarita combines the flavor of the herb with the tequila and lime, giving a flavor similar to licorice. The after effects are a tingling sensation in one’s mouth.

Every entry in the contest received votes as the “favorite” from the large group of tasters. Margaritas with the largest number of votes from the people attending the contest became the winners. The large crowd who attended was very enthusiastic about the event which took place at La Pergola in Instituto Allende. The space provided a beautiful view of the Parroquia as a backdrop for the Concurso and was generously donated by Mi Casa Restaurant.

The crowd of tasters and the restaurants are very enthusiastic about the event and plans are being made for the next annual Concurso. The contest is designed so restaurants can present their business to a large audience without significant cost to them. Then the restaurants can attract clients to visit them for dinner after the contest concludes. As Dilshan Madawala, the owner of Dila’s told us, “I had to rush to close up my table at the Concurso. I got a call on my cell phone telling me my entire restaurant was full of customers. When I got there, I saw a lot of people who had been at the contest.”

Jean Gerber is the Executive Director of Casita Linda, an organization building homes for families without adequate shelter. Mary Murrell is a volunteer for CASA, an internationally recognized nonprofit providing education and health services to women and their families.