A Taste of Tequila Sueños - Part 1

Los Tres Hombres

Omar: “Taylor, let’s grab a drink over here at this place. I know someone who works here.” Taylor: “It’s a little early for a drink, Omar. Do you mean coffee?” Omar: “Hell no, amigo, I mean a margarita to celebrate our ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK”
 Omar laughs at his clever analogy, but Taylor is not amused. He’s already visited this over-used epithet.
Taylor: “Really, you want a margarita at 8:30 in the morning? I really didn’t think you were that big a drinker.” Omar: “Wait, there he is! Hey César, it’s Omar - how’s it hangin’ homeboy? We are heading to Centro Histórico, D.F. - your favorite place. ¡Dios mio! It’s good to see you!” César:«¡Mi viejo amigo! Que ha sido demasiado largo». (“My old friend! It’s been too long.”) «¿Te trata la vida así? ¿Cómo es la familia?» (“Is life treating you well? How is the family?”) Omar:«Todos so mos buenos, César». (“We are all good, Cesar.”) «¿Es tu hermano sigue a la muerte trabajundo?» (“Is your brother still working you to death?”) César:«Estamos simpatico, Omar. Todo bien». (“We are sympatico, Omar. All good.”) Omar: “Can we get a margarita this early, César? My friend’s an alcoholic!”

Taylor: “Now, hold on, Omar. You’re the one who wants a drink, not me!” Omar: “Where are my manners, César? This is Rueben Taylor. We are traveling together today. I go straight to Mexico City. He has a day off in Houston before joining me.” César:«Un placer, Señor Taylor. Omar le ha mencionado muchas veces». (“A pleasure, Mr. Taylor. Omar has mentioned you many times.”) Taylor: “Nice to meet you too, César. You really don’t have to make me a margarita. It’s a bit early for that.” César: “My honor, señor, I think I know why Omar wants me to make you a margarita. He has always been jealous because mine are better than his. Even he admits it. Am I right, Omar?” Omar: “Hell, no, César! Well, damn it, okay, when you are on top of your game yours are a little better. It’s those damn secret ingredients you use. Are you willing to tell me what they are? I have been waiting a long time for that mystery to be solved. I’ll give you 100 - dollars, not pesos!” César: “Money can’t buy love or happiness, Omar, and, in this case, it can’t buy my margarita recipe either. However, you are in luck because I just returned from the morning market and I have the very items I need to make those margaritas for you. Señores, please be seated. I would love to stand here and talk with you while I make your drinks, but if I do that, I will give my secrets away. So - I am off to the back room. I will return shortly with your drinks.” Omar: “Gracias, César - I think my friend will be highly impressed by your craft.”

“Taylor, we are in for a real treat - unmatched margarita. César told me once he spent an entire weekend at a market perfecting this drink. He tried hundreds of different fruit combinations before achieving just the right taste.”

Taylor: “If he’s that good, Omar, why doesn’t he work at Tequila Sueños? You could always use a really great margarita specialist.” Omar: “Well, his brother owns several of these food/drink franchises at the New York metro airports. César kind of oversees all of them for him. But the real reason I can’t give him a job is - he keeps the margarita recipe a secret, so he has to make the drinks with no one around. That isn’t going to work in a bar or restaurant very well, is it?”

Taylor: “You mean he can’t make the mix up ahead of time, Omar? That seems simple enough.” Omar: “And that’s the reason you are not a bartender, Taylor. Craft drinks are all about everything made fresh - on the spot; no mixes, no pre-squeezed fruit. I believe - pristine - describes the process properly.”

César: “And gentlemen, here we are - two extra large margaritas. I call these - ‘El fregadero de la cocina extra grande margarita.’ (The kitchen sink extra large margarita). Or, for short, ‘Tequila Cielo’ (Tequila Heaven) where all good tequilas go when they die. HA! I will, of course, join you. Salud!”

 Three glasses held high - three large sips (no salt, of course) and three giant smiles. It’s the perfect margarita - at least for these three consumers.