Premium tequila makes for an amazing food-pairing partner with a wide variety of dishes, something that has long been known in Mexico, where fans sip premium tequila either neat, in cocktails, or enjoyed alongside anything from casual fare to fine dining. And Tequila Ocho, with its emphasis on terroir and commitment to using only three simple ingredients, is an ideal option.
The brand was launched in 2008 by two icons of the tequila industry: the late Tomas Estes, a pioneer who helped elevate the tequila category in Europe through education and his own acclaimed bars, and Carlos Camarena, a fifth-generation farmer and third generation master distiller. The two bonded over their shared passion for making a high-quality, agave-forward tequila that honors both tradition and terroir. With their combined expertise, Tequila Ocho is dedicated to producing expressive tequilas made from carefully grown, single estate agave and distinctive vintage bottlings.
Only overripe agave is harvested to make Tequila Ocho, which lends expressive fruit notes and a subtle sweetness that do not come from additives or shortcut cooking processes. Instead, the flavor comes from taking the right number of years for the agave to mature, and a 48-hour brick oven roasting, with another full 24 hours of cooling in the oven. The result is a tequila crafted for savoring neat, while also pairing beautifully with everything from appetizers and entrees to dessert and brunch.
Why Tequila Ocho pairs so well with a variety of foods
Though tequila is a distilled spirit, it shares a lot of similarities with wine. Both are made from a single agricultural product (grapes for wine, 100 percent Blue Weber agave for the best tequilas). Each product is impacted by terroir, which affects its flavor and aroma profile, through the complex relationship of land, weather, and the care of those involved in growing agave. In the case of Tequila Ocho, Highlands agave from select estates can provide distinctive notes of tropical fruits, grassiness, citrus, honey, and even a hint of coffee. Each estate and each vintage (yes Tequila Ocho has vintages just like wine!) evokes the nuances of different soils, microclimates, and annual temperature swings. Along with the variety of aged expressions offered, Tequila Ocho makes for unique, fun, and delicious food pairings.
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a neat pour of blanco tequila while munching tortilla chips, there is a whole world of culinary opportunity out there, whether you’re pairing the tequila on its own, over ice, or in a cocktail. We’ve collected some specific alignments of tequila and food, but the sky’s the limit. Want to try your favorite reposado up against spaghetti with fra diavolo sauce or alongside Indian pizza? Go for it!
Belgian Waffles with a Highlands Sunset
Ditch the Mimosa and mix up this citrus-forward tequila cocktail instead. The blend of Tequila Ocho Reposado with several citrus juices and a hint of the Italian bitter liqueur Aperol gives off serious brunch spritz vibes. The beauty of a thick, crunchy-on-the-outside and soft and pillowy on the inside Belgian waffle is that it’s the perfect vehicle for all sorts of sweet and savory toppings. Whether you go with diced thick maple bacon and ricotta, or traditional berries and whipped cream, the cocktail pairing plays well with all of them. Or go farther afield and try banh kep, also called pandan waffles, from Vietnam. The crispy, chewy street food is made with coconut milk for an added hint of flavor and sweetness.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Tequila Ocho Reposado
- ½ ounce Aperol
- ½ ounce fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ ounce fresh orange juice
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: mint sprig
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all ingredients, except bitters and garnish. Shake well and strain into a wine or highball glass. Dash bitters over the drink and garnish.
Fresh Oysters and Tequila Ocho Plata
While oysters and Champagne may seem the most obvious pairing, you get a similarly luxurious experience sipping unaged or lightly aged tequila with oysters. Tequila Ocho Plata’s bright, grassy agave notes along with a crisp citrus and a clean minerality share similarities with sparkling wines that work so well with briny, slightly sweet oysters like Kumamoto or Wellfleet. If you like your oysters with hot sauce, tequila is a great move alongside them.
Crab Rangoon with Hibiscus Sour
Tequila Ocho’s complex profile of tropical fruit, agave, earth, and spice reflects the terroir of Los Altos, the Highlands region of Jalisco in western Mexico where the agave is grown. Crab rangoon — deep-fried nuggets of creamy, crabby goodness — is begging for a tart cocktail. The Hibiscus Sour, featuring bold citrus and the tart-sweetness of hibiscus (enjoyed in Mexico’s popular Agua de Jamaica), offers a delicious balance of flavors.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounce Tequila Ocho Plata
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce hibiscus syrup*
- ½ ounce egg white
- Garnish: edible flower
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker without ice, add all ingredients (except garnish) and dry shake hard to emulsify the egg white. Add ice, shake, and double strain into a chilled wine glass. Garnish with edible flower.
*Hibiscus syrup:
16 ounces water
2 cups caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
Combine dried hibiscus flowers (sold in health food, specialty stores, and online) and sugar in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Cool for 30 minutes and strain out solids.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos and Tequila Ocho Reposado
Pairing tequila with Mexican and Mexican-inspired foods is a no-brainer, of course. But this pairing is special. The natural sweetness of fresh grilled, charred shrimp, and the buttery nuttiness of corn tortillas perfectly complement Tequila Ocho’s lightly aged (“rested”) reposado, sipped neat or over a large ice cube. With vanilla notes and a light grassiness, it’s bright and refreshing, and even stands up against the coconut coleslaw or spicy crema sauce filling your taco. Top shrimp tacos with an unctuous mango salsa and play off the reposado’s cooked butterscotch undertones. You can also rim your tequila glass with lime juice and Tajín spice for added zest.
Pepperoni Pizza and a Calavera Cobbler
On the surface, another no-brainer, since pizza pairs so well with everything from root beer to Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, it’s the wine element of the Calavera Cobbler cocktail, along with the use of Tequila Ocho’s rich, barrel-aged Añejo that makes this sipper an ideal match. With hints of coffee, tobacco, baking spices, and dried fruit in the tequila, the cocktail is a somewhat tannic, yet fruity refresher that adds balance to the fat of pepperoni or sausage, and plays off the pizza’s red sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Tequila Ocho Añejo
- ½ ounce Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur
- 2 ½ ounces red wine
- 3 lemon wheels
- 2 orange slices
- 6 fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, or your favorite)
- 3-4 fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Combine tequila, orange liqueur, and wine in a wine glass filled with crushed ice and stir. Garnish with citrus, berries, and fresh mint.
Braised Oxtail Over Polenta with a Café Old Fashioned
Like fine whiskey, an aged tequila pairs beautifully with grilled or braised red meat. The mellowing of barrel aging also provides hints of oak, tobacco, and black pepper, playing off a perfectly charred steak or ribs. But slow-cooked braised oxtail takes this pairing to new heights, thanks to this cut’s full, rich flavors, touch of sweetness, and a hint of umami. Cooked in the style of stew or ragout and layered atop creamy polenta, this dish marries nicely with this variation on an Old Fashioned. For a less sweet cocktail, reduce the amount of sugar in the coffee syrup.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Tequila Ocho Añejo
- ¼ ounce coffee syrup*
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Dash cacao bitters
- Garnish: lemon or grapefruit twist
Directions:
In a mixing glass with ice, combine all ingredients and stir well until chilled. Strain into a rock glass with a fresh large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon or grapefruit twist.
*Coffee syrup:
Combine equal parts of cold brew coffee concentrate and Demerara sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Elote Corn Bowl With Tequila Ocho Plata or Reposado
Elote is that crave-worthy Mexican street corn-on-the-cob that’s grilled, then slathered with mayonnaise, chili powder, crumbly cotija white cheese and lime. If a food was custom made to sip quality tequila with, it’s this one. Creating a bowl version may seem like a precious cafe thing to do with street food, but it has its precedence in esquites, a Mexican corn salad. You can even make it with frozen corn in the off season. Tequila Ocho’s unaged Plata provides a crisp, lemony, herbaceous sipper to stand up to the mayo. Or balance the nuttiness and richness of the corn and spice with Tequila Ocho Reposado’s creamy notes of baking spices and toffee.
Mole Brownie Tart and Tequila Ocho Extra Añejo
Black mole, or mole negro, is a sauce that hails from Oaxaca and is best known for topping chicken dishes, adding incredible depth of flavor. The combination of bitter chocolate, chiles, raisins, and a mountain of spices may be one of the best sauces on the planet. Skilled cooks also use it in desserts in the form of puddings and frostings. Mixing in mole negro in a bittersweet chocolate tart recipe and topping it with a rich chocolate ganache is decadent, for sure, and it’s worth the extra effort. But pairing it with Tequila Ocho’s Extra Añejo, aged a full three years in specific ex-bourbon oak barrels for each vintage, takes it to next-level indulgence. The Extra Añejo isn’t released every year, but the engaging aromatics and depth of flavor work perfectly with mole. Expect notes of rich roasted and slightly sweet agave, raisins, chocolate, coffee, dark vanilla, and dark cherries, all with brisk oak tannins, and lengthy, satisfying finish.
This article is sponsored by Tequila Ocho.
