It can be overwhelming, ask for help

Tamayo’s selection can be overwhelming, ask for help.

What: Tamayo updates happy hour menu for Chile Relleno Festival

Where: Tamayo, 1400 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202

When:  2-7pm Daily

Pros: Variety, location, and staff makes it easy to enjoy.

Con: So many choices, it can be overwhelming.

If variety is the spice of life, then by just offering over 150 distinct tequilas Tamayo is already well seasoned. Add to that a crossroads location and a very diverse clientele, Tamayo becomes very spicy indeed. Starting October 1st, Tamayo is raising the intensity of the heat with their 2nd Annual Chile Relleno Festival.  The Happiest Hour was invited to sample some of the new cocktail creations from the staff at Tamayo. Living up to the idea of the festival,  the drink menu has been pepped up with twists on standards and entirely new creations. This is in addition to the food items featuring four varieties of chile relleños on the menu. Here are the three cocktails we recommend you try:

 The Bueno Vida

The Buena Vida, watch the rim - it's hot

The Buena Vida, watch the rim – it’s hot

To start with, the Bueno Vida deserves some attention. This version of a Mescal Negroni spends two to three weeks aging in white oak barrels to achieve a distinct flavor. The 1:1:1 ratios of the traditional ingredients are still used, but the flavoring develops to something very special when exposed to the oak. Aaron Kelby, Bar Manager, included this item to “give more positive exposure to mescal.” The subtle woody flavor would pair well with carnitas of beef dishes. This is a “pretty sophisticated drink,” as Arron reminded me, and it may take a sitting or two for some folk to acquire the taste. But be intrepid. The staff encourages it. If you happen to overstep your ultimate comfort zone, they will fix you up.

Simply Bliss

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The Simply Bliss.

Simply Bliss is a delicious elixir that includes House Respesado Tequila combined with orange bitters and cherry liqueur to attain a complex flavor that provides an easy introduction to the bitter palette. The slight edge of the bitters went very well with the Chicken Tinga Tacos. The presentation in a champagne glass elevates the offering. Interestingly, the drink wore well. Each subsequent sip was slightly better than the last.

La Fleetwood

Seeing double? La Fleetwood can get that done for you.

Seeing double? La Fleetwood can get that done for you.

In the interest of keeping things diverse, La Fleetwood was created to give those who don’t want to venture into agave based drinks something. Jim Beam Rye provides the basis, and gives whiskey drinkers “something more than just a Jack and Coke,” as Arron explained. Chynar, simple syrup, and bitters are combined by stirring, strained, and then served to provide an exceptionally easy to enjoy drink that seems like a “martinied” whiskey sour. Perhaps because it was a whiskey based drink in the house of tequila, this creation shined. It would go well with most main menu item, with a bowl of chips, or alone.

Tamayo retains all the qualities you expect from a Richard Sandoval presentation. The staff is super friendly and professional at the same time. The wall behind the bar is a tequila reading rack that has some great surprises awaiting drinkers with any sense of adventure. The location is a nexus for downtown, Lo-Hi, Auraria Campus, and Speer. It has so much going for it, and can provide so many experiences from the bar. From October to December you can look for pleasant additions to the menu that can help spice up a potentially dreary part of the year. The staff at Tamayo is encouraging you to try something different in a place that fits so many people for many different reasons.

All photos by Danny Odum