Cambio Tequila. Credit: Cambio Tequila

Tequila’s Case for the Culinary World

13 Minute read

30 Jan 2026

Ari Bendersky

Writer

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Chefs and producers are rethinking tequila as a culinary ingredient and pairing partner, using traditional production and thoughtful technique to bring the spirit to the table.

When Mitchell Acuña needed a spirit to deglaze shallots and toasted seaweed for a fruits de mer trofie pasta on the tasting menu at Chicago neighborhood French neo-bistro Gavroche, he did not reach for white wine. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of Cazcanes Blanco tequila.

The dish, he said, celebrated the sea, bringing together smoked razor clams, Polanco caviar, and Santa Barbara sea urchin with hand-rolled pasta. He finished it with a salt-lime air foam that reminded him of a beloved cocktail.

“When we tasted the air for the first time, it reminded all of us of that first moment when you lick your lips after sipping a great margarita,” Acuña said. “I wanted to give a nod to the sea foam that piles up on the shore, along with giving the dish a pop of acid and salinity. While tequila isn’t French, it felt right to showcase this amazing product.”

While many might think tequila only pairs with Mexican fare, Acuña is not alone in exploring the spirit beyond its traditional context. At Joto Sushi, partner Tony Frausto orchestrated a 19-course omakase pairing with Cambio tequila, serving dry-aged mackerel with an oaky añejo and A5 wagyu fat-topped tuna with a truffle-infused old fashioned.

These are not isolated experiments. A new generation of tequila producers, including Cazcanes, Cambio, and Wild Common, are crafting spirits with the structure and integrity to work comfortably alongside cuisines far beyond the expected realm of tacos and mole. What sets these spirits companies apart is not just ambition. It is a return to traditional production methods combined with obsessive attention to detail that yields tequilas capable of functioning as an ingredient and holding their own alongside wine at a thoughtfully composed dinner.

How Traditional Methods Create Food-Friendly Spirits

All three brands share a commitment to production practices that prioritize depth over efficiency. Cambio, launched by restaurateur and chef John des Rosiers, represents a return to traditional tequila-making over industrial practices. That means brick ovens that cook agave for four days instead of autoclaves (large, stainless steel, steam-pressurized cookers) that finish in two, tahona stone wheels that gently crush rather than roller mills that can destroy fibers, and wood fermentation tanks that add oxygen and complexity rather than neutral stainless steel.

“The slower you cook the agave, the more flavor and complexity you get,” des Rosiers said. Cambio also lets the tequila go through malolactic fermentation, a technique that converts malic acid to lactic acid, adding texture and mouthfeel. He also experiments with fermenting at unusually high sugar levels, up to 20 degrees brix (sucrose level), versus the typical eight to nine, to produce different phenolic compounds and aromatic expressions.

“When we start high like that, it produces more [notes of] stone fruits, white flowers, pear, and more complexity,” des Rosiers added. “It’s a choice you can make to produce a different style of aromatics and complexity.”

Cazcanes takes a different but equally meticulous approach, sourcing natural spring water from the Navichi Springs in Hostotipaquillo, Jalisco, Mexico. The water’s nearly perfect pH level adds minerals that support different yeast activity, according to Jon-Paul “JP” Fortunati, Cazcanes’ chief innovation officer.

“That water contributes more than just purity,” he said. “It adds a soft minerality and a distinctly viscous texture to the final tequila. There’s some salinity that can add umami characteristics, and the silica gives it a nice mouthfeel.”

Cazcanes, which is certified organic, kosher, and verified additive free, ages its agave-forward tequila to taste rather than to time. The team blends barrels with different char levels and maturity to create layered, expressive tequilas.

“This is a hands-on, human-driven tequila where every decision is made with intention and integrity in mind,” Fortunati said. “We never over-oak, we never sweeten, and we never take shortcuts. You taste that care in every sip.”

Wild Common, created by founder Andy Bardon in partnership with the Rosales family at Tequila Cascahuín, pushes the boundaries of aroma and texture while respecting tradition. That includes tahona milling, fermenting with agave fibers, and bottling some expressions at higher proofs to preserve aromatic intensity and texture.

The result is tequila that possesses creamy, naturally sweet palate weight, along with grip from both the acidity and the alcohol, according to Wild Common’s Texas market manager Andy Arrington.

“If you ask sommeliers for ‘cheat code’ wines that pair with almost any foods, they will reach for things with these same qualities, like Champagne, sherry, and dry riesling,” Arrington said.

The production behind all of these brands leads to tequila with nuanced sensory range and expressive character. This sets them up as culinary tequilas able to move across a range of cuisines, from Thai to Indian and barbecue to ceviche, whether sipped alongside a dish or used as a cooking ingredient.

Tequila and food pairing really rewards a focus on nuance. When paired neat, the rich, oily palate weight can meet the texture of the dish, while the brightness and acidity refresh the palate.

Why Quality Matters at the Table

The difference between these tequilas and mass-market alternatives becomes obvious when food enters the equation. Many commercial tequilas rely on additives that create cloying, artificial sweetness, which interferes with food rather than complementing it. By contrast, clean, additive-free tequilas allow both the spirit and the dish to come through cleanly.

“Tequila and food pairing really rewards a focus on nuance,” Arrington said. “When paired neat, the rich, oily palate weight can meet the texture of the dish, while the brightness and acidity refresh the palate.”

Each producer’s distinctive process yields specific characteristics that interact with food in unique ways. Cazcanes’ water source contributes minerality and viscosity that work beautifully with seafood. Cambio’s barrel-aging program, which includes 40-year-old sherry casks, 20-year-old Madeira casks, and 30-year-old Cognac barrels, creates expressions that range from fruit-forward to deeply savory. Wild Common’s valley agaves and higher proof points deliver bold flavor that stands up to grilled meats while maintaining enough finesse for raw fish.

The pairing principles are not mysterious. Match lighter blancos with ceviche, crudo, and citrus-dressed salads. Reach for reposados with grilled meats and roasted vegetables. Pour añejos alongside braised dishes and rich desserts. As with wine, terroir matters, barrel choices matter, and production methods fundamentally shape how a spirit interacts with food.

The culinary potential becomes clear when chefs start experimenting. At Los Caminos Modern Cocina in Flower Mound, Texas, outside Dallas, chef Luis Rojas hosted a Wild Common tequila dinner where he said the blanco shined.

“It was clean and smooth with acid, citrus, and minerality,” Rojas said. “We played with several selections, including scallops, oysters, and shrimp, eventually going to a shrimp aguachile. Wild Common has balance and subtlety in each of its expressions, never overstating one particular flavor note, but more like blending into the next.”

That made for a successful dinner, which featured neat pours and cocktails, allowing different characteristics to come forward.

Des Rosiers sees natural affinities between tequila and Southeast Asian cuisines, with their ginger, lemongrass, and herb-forward profiles that mirror tequila’s minerality and floral notes. He also points to sushi, as demonstrated during the Cambio tequila omakase dinner at Chicago’s Joto, where des Rosiers contributed courses.

In addition to the aforementioned dry-aged mackerel paired with an oaky añejo, the chefs presented a range of fare: red ruby snapper with Cambio blanco served neat and modified with herb floral bitters; Spanish octopus with a citrus-forward cocktail made with reposado and bitter orange; and A5 pork jowl served in Oaxacan black mole, accompanied by a neat pour of reposado.

“People were wowed that you could do tequila with an omakase,” Frausto said. “That’s the point of a whole guided experience.”

Acuña’s use of Cazcanes blanco tequila in his French seafood pasta demonstrated how tequila can function as a culinary ingredient, not just a beverage. He said the tequila’s notes of earthy agave, bright citrus, black pepper, and hints of anise helped build the sauce’s backbone, intensifying supporting elements as the alcohol burns off and leaves subtle complexity.

“I did not want to do wine, and most other liquors are very intense and would have taken over,” Acuña said. “I also wanted something that the alcohol would fully burn off, but leave an after note of its flavor to accompany the dish, giving the sauce a very complex flavor profile while leaving you guessing what that flavor is.”

Even at home, des Rosiers will reach for a bottle of tequila to cook. He spreads madras curry over a pork shoulder, chars it over pecan wood on the grill, then adds it to a cast iron skillet, soaking it with a generous amount of reposado tequila and cooking it for 18 hours.

“Adding the reposado into it and cooking overnight with all those flavors, making the pork shoulder tender and reducing the leftover juice into a sauce, makes a beautiful pork shoulder,” he said. “You can make tacos, cover it with coconut broth, or other things. There’s definitely a lot more to [cooking with tequila], and I encourage people to use blanco tequila in a recipe instead of a dry white wine.”

A New Conversation

What these producers and chefs understand is that great tequila shares more with fine wine than many drinkers realize. Cambio’s barrel-aged expressions sit comfortably alongside duck and aged cheese. Wild Common’s still-strength blanco works with roasted beet dishes and yogurt sauces. Cazcanes’ extra añejo complements braised short ribs and dark chocolate mousse.

“Tequila has a lot more complexity and a lot more to say about itself than what’s been done for the last 100 years,” des Rosiers argued.

These three brands prove that statement. Each embraces traditional production while demonstrating that a spirit made with care and intention can cross culinary borders as easily as geographic ones.

Maybe it’s time to start thinking differently. The next time you’re planning a dinner pairing, consider looking beyond the wine list. A bottle of thoughtfully made tequila might surprise you more than that Napa chardonnay.