Food & Drink: Crafty - Barrio Star | Margaritas for the Soul
Finding a great margarita in San Diego should be pretty easy right? You’d be surprised.
A great margarita is made with fresh minimal ingredients and premium Blanco tequila. Too many times I encounter an establishment cutting corners by using a bottled margarita mix or some nasty high fructose triple sec. Not Barrio Star!
With the skyrocketing cost of fresh limes, Barrio Star stays true to themselves and refuses to adulterate San Diego’s favorite cocktail. Ingredients matter! Every margarita at Barrio Star is made fresh, from fresh ingredients.
I just so happened to pay a visit on a recent Taco Tuesday during Happy Hour. I was immediately greeted by friendly Manager Paco who was very accommodating. He introduced me to “Q”, the Bartender. Before indulging in margarita bliss, I had to ask Q about their house margarita.
To my satisfaction, he explained that the house margarita consists of: 1. Premium Blanco tequila (Giro Brand) 2. Fresh squeezed lime juice 3. Organic agave with a salted rim. Boom! That’s it and that’s all it should be. Right then, I knew I was in for some quality imbibing. Let the tequila games begin!
When writing articles on cocktails for 4L, I normally limit the focus to three. I couldn’t do that this time. With such an interesting offering of tequila based beverages, I had to bite the bullet and try a handful. Here they are:
The Roasted Jalapeno Blackberry Margarita:
Voted one of the top five margaritas in the country by Orbitz magazine. If you’re limiting yourself to one, make this it! Consisting of roasted jalapeno tequila, blackberry puree and of course fresh lime juice and organic agave. Q explained they roast the jalapenos in the back of the house, dice them up and add them to the tequila for several hours to infuse. This one will forever have a special place in my heart. Spicy, sweet, warm and tart – everything comes together perfectly
The Serrano Chile & Fresh Oregano Margarita:
Sticking with the spicy theme, I love serrano chilis, so when I spotted this gem on the menu, I had to try it. Made with what else, Blanco tequila and fresh lime juice. What made this one ever so interesting was the earthy serrano flavor, a little heat but not too much, the fresh flavor of the oregano, and the best part was the rim. Yes the rim! A combination of salt, sugar, and cumin accompanies every sip to make this one unique cocktail. Nothing is overpowering or too spicy. All very well balanced
The Sandia Margarita: Using the jalapeno infused tequila as a base, fresh organic muddled watermelon is added and rounded off with fresh lime juice and organic agave. Watermelon always reminds me of summer as a kid, this is the adult version. This is a great warm weather drink and that’s maybe why it’s not included on the menu. Check out the chalkboard on the wall and if you’re lucky, it’ll still be there.
The Mexican Mule: Mules are very popular these days. Originally with The Moscow Mule, you can now find many variations using different spirits as a base such as the Kentucky Mule with a bourbon base or a Caribbean Mule made with rum. The Mexican Mule at Barrio Star is a version made with Blanco tequila, ginger beer, angostura bitters, slivered serrano chilies and fresh lime juice. I much prefer this version over the vodka based Moscow Mule. With a kick from the ginger beer, and some zing from the chili’s, the fresh lime juice helps take it down a notch and allows the agave flavor of the tequila to come through. There’s something about a Mule cocktail served in a copper mug. If there’s no mug, I can’t do it. Fortunately, this one is presented perfectly in a traditional copper mug, lime wedge on the rim and slices of serrano chilis atop a mound of ice. Cheers!
The Barrio Michelada: One of histories original “Shandy’s” or Beer Cocktail, The Michelada is a beer based drink quickly growing in popularity and taking on many variations. This version starts with a Tecate Beer base, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper all served over a heaping mound of ice, served in a huge schooner and rimmed with an interesting chili flake/salt rim and a lime wedge. I love Michelada’s so I had to try it. The spiciness of the chili flakes and the refreshing coolness of the beer/lime juice makes this take on a classic a must try.
Barrio’s tequila-based cocktails embrace everything from herbs, house-made syrups, and fresh juices to agave and chili flake pepper rims. If you’re into sipping tequilas, they have a nice selection that’s not too overwhelming. Their goal isn’t to carry the most tequila in San Diego but rather offer quality and you’ll notice that when your lips take their first sip from that perfectly salted rim, remember, ingredients count! Bring a designated driver as you’re going to want to try them all!
Barrio Star
2706 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Happy Hour: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
URL: http://fourelmagazine.com/food-drink-crafty/