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Tequila & Taste
Tres Agaves Is All About Good Times And Great Tequila
It’s a tall order, but you could say that San Francisco’s Tres Agaves
Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Lounge is a restaurant and tequileria on
a singular mission to stamp out bad tequila, bring back fun and
excitement to a harried corner of the world and reinvent the whole
concept of Mexican food and beverage in the bargain.
To be sure, this South Beach cantina is an anomaly among the
thousands of Mexican hospitality haciendas that dot the California
landscape. Tres Agaves is after the very heart and soul of old Mexico.
Not too fancy –– there is not a white tablecloth to be found
anywhere in the house –– and not the least bit pedestrian, either, its
grand ambitions are decidedly of the understated variety as the sort of
Latin-inspired sweet spot where South-of-the-border natives and gringos
alike can come and feel right at home for Saturday or Sunday brunch, or
Happy Hour and a quick bite before a baseball game at nearby Giants
stadium. But don’t go to this converted red brick warehouse expecting
to find cheesy sombreros and maracas for décor on the walls.
Any patron in search of the ubiquitous nachos smothered in cheese
or a frozen Margarita milked from a machine behind the bar will be
disappointed in the Mexican establishment opened by Eric Rubin and Chef
Joseph Manzare, a Bronx, New York, native with three other popular San
Francisco restaurant concepts to his credit, in October of 2005.
As its Web site makes abundantly clear to all, “Tres Agaves doesn’t
wrap everything in tortillas, offer Combination Plate No. 2 or serve
lame drinks.”
Uno, Dos, Tres
As its name implies, the house reverence for all things associated
with the sacred highlands of Mexico begins with the tequila at Tres
Agaves, so called in honor of the three different types –– blanco,
reposado and anejo –– of tequila distilled there.
Unlike many Latin and Mexican establishments, tequila and only 100
percent blue agave tequila at that, is on display behind the bar. And
not just any old brand of tequila, either.
“We wanted to bet everything on tequila,” Managing Partner Eric Rubin says. “We wanted to make a statement.”
Brands both familiar and discoverable beckon Tres Agaves customers,
a clientele that Rubin describes as being “all over the map” in terms
of age, gender and ethnicity. There is Espolon, Pueblo Viejo, El
Charro, Dos Manos, Don Fulano, Casa Noble, Cabo Wabo, Penca Azul, Tezon
and Milagro.
Although many are familiar to tequila drinkers everywhere in the
country, popularity is most definitely not the criterion used to
determine what the well-educated bartenders, waiters and waitresses ply
to the public on a daily basis, Rubin says.
“The concept is based on simplicity. We only carry 30 brands of
tequila, about 110 bottles total,” Rubin says. “We only want to carry
the things we know and like and have confidence in selling.”
The true superstar sellers at Tres Agaves include El Tesoro, a
tequila that Rubin touts as “the quintessential highlands tequila and
the most beautiful expression of the agaves grown there,” as well as
Corralejo, Partida, Herradura, Arête, Don Julio and Chinaco.
Along with its connoisseur’s dream of agave brands, the pour and
the presentation of tequila also sets Tres Agaves apart from the crowd.
“We always do a two-ounce pour of tequila,” Rubin says. “And we
never use shot glasses or snifters. When served neat, we pour our
tequila into an ISO tasting glass. No. 1, it tells you that you are
drinking something good and something serious. We felt that snifter
(glassware) focused too much of the alcohol toward the nose — the
vapor.” In addition, he says, the ISO glass is a little bit sexier. “We
have found that by using it, there are no issues with selling tequila
neat to women.”
From the ever popular Paloma to the Mexico City (the Latin
Manhattan made with Coca-Cola, 1800 anejo and cherry liqueur) to the La
Rosa (the house answer to the Cosmo, made with Corzo blanco tequila,
Cream de Mure and hibiscus flower puree, that Rubin says adds a
beautiful ruby red to the mix instead of the “lame ass” pink that you
get with cranberry juice) the cocktails at Tres Agaves all pay homage
to Mexico as well.
“We don’t sell Mojitos, Daiquiris or Caipirinhas,” Rubin says. Even
the house Margaritas which patrons can enjoy for $3 during Saturday and
Sunday brunch are made with a bar chef’s appreciation for the tequila
that goes into them, with two ounces of 100 percent agave,
fresh-squeezed lime juice and organic agave nectar instead of sugar.
“If you have five different recipes for a Margarita, with this one
using Cointreau and that one Grand Marnier, how can I tell which
tequila I like?” Rubin asks. “We have one flavor profile, so that way
people can identify what they like and find out if they prefer blancos,
reposados or anjeos and also identify which region they prefer, the
Lowlands or the Highlands.”
Along with solid beer receipts that include brands such as Corona
and Tecate, Rubin says the wisdom of his tequila philosophy is
validated by the 50/50 revenue split between his food and his beverage
sales that range from $7 to $350 per pour at the bar.
“Eighty-five percent of total beverage sales are 100 percent agave
tequila, which tells us that our concept resonates with our customers.”
Simple As Can Be
While tequila gets top billing at Tres Agaves, the food has been a
major draw “We serve the classics –– carnitas, carne asada –– it is
just all very high quality,” Rubin says. “It is simple as can be.” NCB
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