If you’ve sworn off tequila because of a bad experience or two (hello, college), täkō wants you to know that they understand. But they want you to get over it.
Bar manager Erika Clark hears about people’s youthful tequila-fuled drunken nights, and the ensuing epic hangovers, all the time. But, she insists, drinking tequila doesn’t have to be like that. “Tequila is so much more than Jose Cuervo Gold,” she says. “That’s what I’m here to show people.”
And that’s why Clark and the team at täkō are unveiling a brand new tequila wall, with an expanded tequila, mezcal and rum collection, just in time for their first anniversary.
Clark has spent the last few months adding bottles of tequila, mezcals and rum to the restaurant’s collection (already hundreds-deep), and redesigning the bar menu. Starting today, they’ll be offering smaller pours, giving guests an opportunity to try more.
“When we opened, our pour options were an ounce-and-a-half, or three ounces,” Clark says. “And now, we’re releasing a menu where our pours are an ounce to two ounces, making it more affordable and approachable.”
So what does the tequila expert in the tequila bar in Pittsburgh recommend to tequila newbies?
“It depends on what a person likes to drink,” says Clark. “I always ask what flavor profiles they might like – maybe fresh-cracked pepper and eucalyptus, or sweeter fruits. Then, based on what they tell me, I always have a few go-to suggestions that I really love.”
One that’s always on her suggestion list is Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo Tequila. “It’s aged for at least five years, and what I love about it is that it’s the only one that tastes the way that it does on this wall,” Clark enthuses. “It reads like molasses, and more like a dark, luscious rum than a traditional tequila.”
Clark is also a big fan of Gran Centenario, a tequila that’s aged in a French oak barrel for 28 days.
“It ends up tasting like pears and vanilla custard,” Clark says. “Not exactly what you’d expect in tequila.”
täkō (214 6th Street, Pittsburgh)
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