When you think of San Diego, you think of tacos, tequila, and craft beer, so when I heard there was an event that combined all three, I knew I had to check it out. The Tacos & Tequila Festival was held in the SILO at the Makers Quarter downtown, an excellent outdoor event space and the perfect spot for a fun and boozy Saturday afternoon.
Tacos and Tequila Festival
http://www.tacostequilafestival.com/
The Tacos and Tequila Festival featured several unique tequilas, fifteen breweries, and several restaurants whipping up tacos to compete for the best taco in San Diego! Lines were long but tequila was flowing, some amazing DJ’s and bands were providing tunes, and the tacos were well worth the wait.
Upon arrival, we swung by Martin San Ramon to pick up a taste of mezcal topped with a sprinkle of Tajin and then were immediately roped into a very intense game of Jenga, hosted by Giant Games. We win (!!!) and then head off to find some tacos!
Thirty seconds into our taco search, we decide to make our first beer stop and pop by Ironfire Brewing to sample their Mexican Lager, which was the perfect light and crisp sip for a warm day.
Our first taco stop was at Tacos de Panson, which was serving up two types, a chicken chile Verde, and a vegetarian zucchini with cheese. They were both fresh and tasty, topped with a tomatillo salsa, cilantro, and onions, and served with a lime. While waiting for our tacos, a sketchy little booth with just a keg tapped cooler popped up in the corner, and we, of course, had to check it out. Turns out they were serving up ice cold Dos Equis, which while not a craft brew, was still a perfect taco compliment!
Our next few brew stops were at St. Archer, Garage Brewing, and Belching Beaver, where we sampled the White Ale, Mango Hefeweizen, and Coconut Pineapple IPA. The Mango Hefeweizen was nice and subtle while still delivering a kick of mango with each sip, but the Coconut Pineapple IPA was the surprise of the day. I have always loved Belching Beaver but stuck primarily to their delicious stouts (they were also serving the peanut butter stout, made with Mexican hot chocolate, and if you haven’t tried it- do so immediately!). This Pineapple Coconut IPA was an IPA that could turn you into an IPA lover, they are definitely not my favorite, but this one was so light and refreshing and just hoppy enough without the bitterness I usually shy away from.
We then made a quick stop at Fortaleza to sample both their Blanco and Reposado tequilas, and they were both so smooth and delicious! After getting our tequila on, it was time for another taco, this time from Cassanova Fish Tacos. This taco was seriously so tasty and blew me away, the sauce had a mix of cilantro and ginger and was tangy and stood up to the substantial serving of fish. Cassanova is a truck that travels around town, and I will be hunting it down, because if they can make a taco this great at an event of this scale, I can’t imagine how amazing they are straight from the source!
Our next few beer stops were at Acoustic Ales, Common Cider, and Hangar 24, where we sampled the Pale Ale, Orange Wheat, and Hibiscus Cider. The Hibiscus Cider from Common was such a nice surprising treat; it was just the right amount of sweet, and also a pretty shade of pink!
Our last few tequila tastings were at Sin Rival, Camarena, and Leyendas de mi Pueblo. We were in love with the bottles at Leyendas de mi Pueblo, but the stand out tequila of the day had to be Sin Rival. We tried the extra reposado, and it was seriously amazing. They also were offering up four different types and were able to provide a wealth of knowledge on each of their tequilas, taking the time to talk to each festival goer, it was clear that they are so passionate about what they do!
Before heading out for the day, we made a couple of final beer stops. The first was for the Ninkase Citrus IPA, which, while a little too hoppy for me, was pretty damn good. The last drink of the day was Damn Fine Cider’s Black Currant. Oh my goodness am I in love with this cider! It was so unique, crisp and light and a perfect finale!
This was such a fun event that was so uniquely San Diego, and made me so happy to live here! We really do know what we’re doing down here when it comes to tacos, tequila, and beer, and the Tacos and Tequila Festival was proof of that. The SILO at the Makers Quarter might be my new favorite event space, and I will be visiting some of the featured breweries and taco shops in the future to taste more of my favorites!
