The Ultimate Culinary Mastery? Tequila cocktails and Mexican Small Plates

Food and Culinary Events / Ruth’s Chris TasteMaker Dinner and Tequila cocktails

The TasteMaker Dinner hosted at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Sarasota, Florida was a celebration of entrepreneurial spirit ©Dawn Damico

Who would have believed that dinner at a chain restaurant was actually a story about the bold spirit of a single mother from the 1960s that intersected with a passion project of Hollywood’s elite decades later?

The TasteMaker culinary experience was made possible because a few friends wanted to make tequila for their personal bar built between two homes in Mexico, and a woman decided to mortgage her home to open a steakhouse restaurant at a time when women restaurateurs were few and far between. Both had a vision to create something for family and friends, although only one went into it hoping to create a thriving business.

Because of that, the TasteMaker Dinner hosted at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Sarasota, Florida was a celebration of entrepreneurial spirit that featured a parade of Mexican-inspired small plates made with pork, chicken, and steak (of course). 

While many TasteMaker Dinners are paired with wine, this one featured cocktails crafted with Casamigos Tequila. That company was born out of friendship between George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Michael Meldman.

While the entire evening was a culinary masterpiece in its own right, the journey of the people who made it possible was the heart of the experience. 

So, before we dive into the culinary experience, let’s explore the remarkable journeys that made this night possible. Afterall, rarely does a dining experience just happen. 

Then, I’ll walk you through the meal and the cocktails prepared with Casamigos Tequila. 

Finally, I’ll share a little story about a Brita pitcher and a village of women, shared over casual conversation with Christie Saunders of Diageo Hospitality Partnership, that inspired me to continue our tequila taste adventures.

Despite knowing very little about running a restaurant, Ruth mortgaged her home and bought Chris’ Steak House in New Orleans, Louisiana.  ©Dawn Damico

“Steakhouse for Sale: $18,000.”

This simple little classified ad sparked a culinary legacy when it caught the eye of Ruth Fertel, a single mother with an entrepreneurial spirit.

A photo of her hangs over the hostess stand at the entrance of the restaurant. Curious, I inquired about the woman in the photograph and the hostess shared Ruth’s remarkable story.

Despite knowing very little about running a restaurant, Ruth mortgaged her home and bought Chris’ Steak House in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was a bold decision because of the restaurant’s history. The original owner had repeatedly sold and repurchased the establishment from failing would-be restaurateurs using the same modest advertisement.

That ended when Ruth stepped into the picture.

The year was 1965. Ruth was a single mom with two kids, and in many places of the country, women still needed their husband’s permission to open a bank account. Unfettered by societal constraints, Ruth embraced her new role with grace and determination.

Hurricane Betsy

Shortly after she bought the restaurant, Hurricane Betsy swept through the city leaving devastation in its wake. Yet even a city-wide power outage that threatened to spoil the restaurant’s food didn’t deter her.

She put on her apron, fired up the stoves, and began feeding people in the community as cleanup efforts ensued.

Eleven years of hard work with an emphasis on hospitality transformed the restaurant into a thriving success. Then, in a fortuitous twist of fate, a fire broke out and she had to find a new home for her restaurant.

Now, you may wonder why I would describe a fire as lucky.

The original contract stipulated that she had to call the restaurant Chris’ Steak House, after the original owner. If she moved locations, she was not allowed to take the name with her.

Rather than lose the branding and reputation she had built, Ruth cleverly circumvented the restrictions by simply adding her name to the original. Thus, Ruth’s Chris Steak House was born.

While the name is quite a mouthful of letters, understanding the story behind it instills a deep appreciation for the woman behind it.

Ruth Fertel’s ingenuity, perseverance, and focus on hospitality led her to franchise the concept, ultimately selling to a private firm in 1999. Her legacy is an inspiring testament to the power of determination and adaptability in the face of challenges.

Now, about that tequila. While George Clooney couldn’t join us for dinner (damn!), the distributor joked that he’d stopped returning her calls after her persistent invitations, his tequila surrogates were present!

So, let’s talk about those surrogates. The Casamigos website says that the founders wanted to make the smoothest, best-tasting, tequila and mezcal whose taste didn’t have to be covered up with salt or lime. Today, you’ll find one mezcal and five varieties of tequila, including Casamigas (with an “A”) Jalapeno Tequila that is sealed with the “kiss” of Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber’s wife, and the newest Casamigos Cristalino Reposado.

However, there’s another story behind this now-famous tequila that the website only hints about. And while it may not be as intriguing as the legend of the agave plant itself, the one that says that tequila was “birthed” after the agave plant was struck by lightning, it’s still interesting.

You see, Casamigos didn’t begin as a business venture. Originally, they simply wanted to create a great tasting tequila to share with friends and family at home, their homes, in Mexico. It was their house tequila, of which the name “House Friends” suggests. 

At some point, George Clooney and Rande Gerber even built a little bar between their neighboring homes in Los Cabos, Mexico, cementing their commitment to this friendly pursuit.

Then, they got in trouble. Sort of.

They were producing 1000 bottles of tequila from Jalisco, Mexico every year. That’s a lot of tequila! 

This caught the attention of the distiller and they were given an ultimatum: license the tequila or stop making it. Happily, they didn’t stop!

A Tequila Company is Born

Their adventure started in 2013. Today, even though the founders sold the company, Casamigos is on track to become one of the largest tequila brands on the planet, according to Kristen Clark, VP of Cocktails and mixologist for Casamigos. Clark shared this insight during a video presentation at the beginning of the TasteMaker experience.

Also, it seems that Clark’s creativity knows no bounds. She said that she has created more than 400 cocktail recipes using Casamigos Tequilas. In addition, she has been developing food pairing ideas to complement and enhance the unique flavor profile of each tequila.

This rich history about the tequila and the host restaurant set the stage for our Ruth’s Chris TasteMaker Dinner experience. We were excited to dive into an evening of culinary and craft cocktail exploration.

We were greeted with our first cocktail in a tall flute glass rimmed with salt.  ©Dawn Damico

The First Plate: Tetala

Our opening dish, the Tetala, was an intriguing triangle of black frijoles, shredded quesillo, tomatillo relish, and mexican crema.  Honestly, this starter confused me a little bit because I wasn’t quite sure what it was. However, perhaps this fiber-rich dish was a wise choice, potentially aiding in the metabolism and slower absorption of the evening’s alcohol.

The Cocktail: Sueﬞno Tropical Fizz

Hello fresca! This effervescent cocktail creation included Casamigos Blanco, pineapple-cucumber fresca, fresh lemon juice, agave, and club soda. I loved the fizz and cucumber and mint garnish. 

The video presentation talked more about the meticulous process used to create Casamigos Blanco. It’s made with 100% blue agave from Jalisco. They use an extra slow fermentation process of about eight hours in 300 liter copper stills, 72 hours of slow roasting in traditional brick ovens for the piﬞnas, and proprietary yeast. Then, it rests in stainless steel for about two months before it’s bottled. 

The Second Plate: Tortita Ahogoada

These traditional melt-in-your-mouth sandwiches date back to the early 1900s from Jalisco Guadalajara. Crusted bread rolls filled with pork carnitas, refritos, then drizzled with ahogada hot sauce. There was a little bit of heat to this dish so the coolness of the cocktail was a perfect pairing.

Casamigos Cristalino uses the reposado base and is aged for seven months in small 200 liter American white oak barrels   ©Dawn Damico

The Cocktail: Sparkling Aﬞnejo Sunset

This rich cocktail, reminiscent of an Old Fashioned, combined a blend of Casamigos Anejo, simple syrup, amaro nonino, and sparkling wine. It was a nice complement to the world-famous Ruth’s Chris Steak.

Casamigos Anejo is rich and full-bodied, aged for 14 months in small 200 liter American white oak charred barrels. You can use this in cocktails that traditionally use whiskey. When you visit the Casamigos website, you’ll find several cocktail recipe ideas.

The Fourth Plate: Filet with Tomato and Poblano Rajas

Served on Ruth’s Chris signature 500° plates with a pat of butter, the medium rare filet was accompanied by papas con chorizo, esquites with cotija cheese and lime creme. A masterpiece of texture and flavor from its soft pink center to the firm outer layer. The corn tasted like something right off food trucks along the border, and the small cubes of spiced potatoes tasted great the next morning mixed up with some scrambled eggs. 

At this point, we were slowing down with each tasty bite!

The Final Plate: Cocadas De Chocolate

Our sweet finale featured a chocolate-covered coconut ball drizzled with a creme anglaise. It had me humming the Mounds candy bar jingle because that’s what it reminded me of! The sweetness was enjoyed with a shot of espresso to top off the evening. 

The Casamigo TasteMaker culinary experience at Ruth’s Chris Steak House inspired guests to create their own cocktails and pairings at home. Everything from start to finish was classy and comfortable at the same time. 

For future events, check out their TasteMaker Dinner website.

Colorful artwork on the wall of Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Sarasota, Florida pays tribute to NOLA, the home of the very first restaurant.  ©Dawn Damico

This entrepreneurial tequila story is a great reminder that solving a problem, perhaps your own, can lead to a business that takes you on a fun and unexpected journey.

Once upon a time, a woman was frustrated by the headaches she would get after drinking wine. A friend suggested that she try drinking tequila instead of wine. She didn’t care much for the taste of tequila so started experimenting with infusing flavors into the tequila.

In fact, she would infuse tequila in her Brita™ pitcher. (*I think I like this woman already!) 

The result? 21SEEDS Tequila was born.

Two sisters and one friend (21) joined brains, passions, and hearts to plant the seeds for a beverage that would bring people together. Aligned with their motto that #GirlsCallTheShots, they flew to Mexico and partnered with a female-led distillery. They perfected the infusion blends and today the infused tequila is made in Jalisco and enjoyed everywhere.