Baja Cocktails at Rancho Pescadero
If you're looking for a shot of Baja or just the right tequila, slip in to Rancho Pescadero, an oceanfront oasis situated on 15 pristine acres of the Baja California Sur, Mexico. It’s the perfect place for a house made tequila tasting, Baja style. Mid-way you can dip in to their pool, slip in to an oceanfront day bed or get a 360 degree view of the sea and surrounding area from the top of your luxury villa.
Wherever you take on that tasting, be prepared to be properly spoiled by the staff and the succulent spirits spilling your way. You will be hit you with an onslaught of Baja cocktails. It’s the best way to take in the local cocktails and culture. So, simply surrender….
Rancho Pescadero has their own house tequila, made in the town of Tequila by a local family who’s been making tequila for three generations now. Pescadero’s owner Lisa Harper met a family member from the Hermanos Garcia Family on one of her road trips in mainland Mexico. The rest is artisanal tequila tasting history.
The Hermanos Garcia Family produces Tequila Blanco (bottled after the first distillation), Tequila Reposado (aged for 8 months in white oak barrels), and Tequila Añejo (aged 1-2 years in white oak). The family keeps it all artisan driven from the barrel to the bar, even making the kegs, which the tequila is stored in. Pescadero buys the Blanco and the Reposado from the Hermanos Garcia family and ages it themselves for their own Añejo blend.
There are many ways to celebrate this indigenous house aged spirit on site. Consider one of Rancho Pescadero’s signature cocktails which include the Cilantro Margarita; the Pescadero Mojito made with locally grown organic strawberries and basil; La Catrina made with Oaxacan Mezcal and dried Chile de Arbol; the Jamaica Martini made with dried Hibiscus flowers and the Mango Margarita made with fresh locally grown mangos.
If looking for healing qualities with your highball, consider Damiana, an indigenous plant in the area. Local people believe it has great healing properties for the body and can act as a digestive, an antidepressant and an aphrodisiac. At Pescadero you can taste it in cocktails, such as margaritas, or simply sip it as a digestive after dinner. Let the games begin.
Aside from tequila, there are plenty of grape driven drinks. Wine production in Mexico started in 1597 in the state of Coahuila in the north, long before grapes were evergrown in Argentina, California and Chile. Pescadero is pouring wines from the main wine regions, the Valle de Parras in the state of Coahuila and also wines from the Guadalupe Valley in northern Baja. True to their artisanal form, they champion the boutique bottles. All wines on site are very high quality artisanal wines. So, corks off!
There are plenty of plates to complement those spirited pours. Pescadero’s menu is local, seasonal, organic and most importantly delicious. In the simple, you will find the sublime from the house made guacamole to fish tacos, nachos, ceviche and their Baja burger.
Pescadero’s head bartender Danny Sanchez started the bar program at Rancho Pescadero when the hotel opened just over two years ago. His c-head bartender in crime Sergio Gonzalez is the resident Tequila expert and once ran a tequila bar and was the bar manager at the Hotel California in Todos Santos before coming to Rancho Pescadero. You can check in any time you like, but you may never leave Baja or Pescadero. Don’t worry, you’ll be happy. There’s enough tequila to keep you tippling for some time sailor.
Rancho Pescadero, Parcela #53, San Juan de Dios, El Pescadero, BCS, Mexico
