The World on Wheels: yuma

Showing posts with label yuma. Show all posts

Sunday, October 3, 2021

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Tequila Tasting with the Tios

Rudy, one of the bartenders in our "Southern California's Top Three Margaritas" video, told me this is his favorite Cocktail Hour video. For Rudy - Ed

In Memoriam - Heliodoro Melgarejo

1943 - 2021

Welcome to a very special Cocktail Hour here on The World on Wheels. We’re on the road for today’s episode, crossing the border into Mexico and bringing some premium tequilas back for our own little tasting party. As you may know from previous cocktail hours, I’m a big fan of the blue agave spirits.

With us today is Heliodoro, Hector, and Lupe…our aunt and uncles from my wife’s side of the family. The two uncles are pretty serious tequila connoisseurs, and I take their opinions and recommendations seriously when I’m looking for good tequila.

With that, it’s on to the tasting which you can watch in the video above. In the morning, we crossed over into Mexico at Los Algodones, which is about 7 miles west of Yuma, Arizona. We acquired around $300 worth of tequila, all but one of which I would consider premium or ultra-premium. Each person is allowed to bring back 1 liter, so the little bottles you see in the video were taken to add to our 750ml bottles to get as close to the limit as possible.

Back across the border, we had our tasting session at our hotel, the La Fuente Inn and Suites in Yuma. Here are our opinions on each of the tequilas…

Corralejo Reposado – This is made in Guanajato by Hacienda Corralejo. You usually see this in oversize blue bottles at your local liquor store. It’s not bad, definitely better that Cuervo Gold or the supermarket generics, and has a pretty good agave flavor. There is a tinge of harshness to the taste that keeps it from being a truly premium spirit. It’s along the lines of Cazadores…a good, solid tequila that is a superb mixer and a decent shot maker if you cut the taste with lime and salt. That right there is my line in the sand between a really good tequila and a superb tequila…premium tequilas need no help from limes, salt, etc. to be enjoyed. They taste too good by themselves to be adulterated by other ingredients.

1921 – Next is a trinity from 1921, another distiller from Guanajato. First is the plata, or silver, tequila. Plata is not aged. Just distilled and bottled. Right off the bat we can tell there is a big jump in quality from the Corallejo. Smooth. Great agave flavor. No harshness at all. An excellent, premium silver.

The 1921 Reposado – reposado is Spanish for rested. A reposado usually means that the tequila has been aged in wooden barrels for at least 6 months. 1921’s version is another smooth entry but the wooden aging overtakes the agave flavor a bit. It’s really good but not quite as good as the silver.

1921’s Añejo – aged at least a year – picks up where the reposado left off. Many añejos are aged in old whiskey barrels and the result is an overtone of whiskey flavor along with the agave. Some distillers are masters at this blending of flavors, others not so much. 1921 is a master at this. It’s one of the best añejos out there. This morning when we were tasting samples, we had a taste of Hacienda de la Plata añejo. It wasn’t bad. Then we had a taste of Hacienda de la Plata ultra añejo, which is aged for several years instead of one. It was very delicious and $56 a bottle. The 1921 añejo has an almost identical taste to the ultra añejo but is $30 less per bottle (note, these are Mexican prices – they are much higher in the States). This is where the difference in experience comes in. Nice, deep agave flavor with just a hint of whiskey hovering around your palate.

The guys will take a little break from tasting here so the women can try a tast of 1921’s delicious tequila crème. Think Bailey’s Irish Crème and you get an idea of what this tastes like. Letty and Lupe both like it and it tastes just like Bailey’s with just a hint of agave overtones. I’ve had this before, and if you’re in the mood for a sweet, chocolaty, coffee tasting drink, this is very good. Would make an excellent Irish coffee.

The guys will now taste another ultra-premium añejo by Degollado. Made in the town of the same name, south of Guadalajara in Jalisco, this is really rare in the States. An online search showed only one ABC store in North Carolina that sometimes stocks this. Bottles on EBay go for north of $150. In Mexico, I grabbed a bottle for $26. This is another ultra-smooth añejo with a bit of stronger whiskey influence than the 1921. I like it, as do the other guys.

We’ve got one more to taste tonight. As the sky darkens, I bring out one more bottle. This time, it’s the white and blue porcelain bottle of Clase Azul Reposado. Made in the highlands, north of Guadalajara, this is truly a special tequila. Smooth, deep agave taste, a slight hint of syrup. As incredible as the taste of this tequila is, the aftertaste lingers with a sweet, almost amaretto, taste on your lips and tongue. What a truly fantastic tequila.

We saved the very best for the last of a stellar lineup of tequilas. What about the calories, you may be asking (since we’re focusing on healthier, lower calorie drinks this year)? Each shot of tequila (1 ounce) has 69 calories. Since these tequilas are made for savoring, you can have three shots over an evening, slowly enjoying the warmth and taste, for only 207 calories.

Cheers!

Darryl
Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Friday, October 13, 2017

MEDICAL TOURISM: Yuma, Arizona - 2010

In part 1 of this trip, we introduced you to the little Mexican border town of Los Algodones, a very popular destination for medical tourism.

We came for the eyeglasses but there are many other medical options in town, especially dentists who seem to operate an office every twenty feet or so. Touts will sit out in front of practically every business but instead of offering strippers and other unsavory fare, they will be trying to get you in for a low-price dental or optical exam. Many pharmacies also line the streets selling brand name drugs for less than their U.S. counterparts. Other medical services abound here from normal general practitioners to plastic surgeons but opticians, dentists, and pharmacies pretty much rule the roost here.

Watch the video for this trip!

It’s 2 ½ hours until we need to go back to Algodones Optical to pick up our new glasses. Another thing we like about Mexico is the abundance of really premium tequilas at low prices. Although there are many liquor stores here in town, we end up at twin purple stores of the Liqui’s empire.

On the east side of the street, the largest of the two stores offers a literal supermarket of booze attached to its pharmacy. Across the street, a smaller version of the purple monster offers a slightly more relaxed version along with its own pharmacy and furniture outlet.

Tasting bars are set up in each store and the staff is more than happy to pour out a few drops of any tequila in the store to taste so you can know if you like it before you buy it.

The uncles, Heliodoro and Hector, are two of the finest tequila aficionados I know. I’m getting there, beyond a novice, but not quite there yet. Tim’s just starting out.

Before you think too judgmentally about me, know that a fine tequila is as tasty, smooth, and delicious as a fine cognac. It is not to be guzzled in quick shots down your throat before the gag reflex sets in for a quick buzz. If it is really good, it is best enjoyed by itself…no lime or salt…sipped slowly for the smooth warmth of its taste. Try a shot of Cuervo Gold followed by a shot of Hornitos Reposado…both similarly priced mid-range tequilas…to see what I’m talking about sometime.

We taste a few samples, some good, some not so good, and a couple of outstanding examples. Since each adult can bring back a liter of alcohol duty free, we buy six bottles of various platas, reposados, and añejos (see our Cocktail Hour for October 17th…Tequila Tasting with the Tios…to see how they turned out). Since the bottles are 750ml and we’re allowed a liter, we fill in the gap with 100 and 200ml bottles of various brands.

An example of how much you save is the Clase Azul reposado I bought. This is the unanimous pick for the best tequila we tasted today. At Beverages and More, a 750ml bottle is $90. I got two 375ml bottles for $30 each, or $60 for 750ml…2/3 the price of BevMo.

After our tequila shopping, we continue on for a few blocks because Letty wants to buy a galvanized bucket at the local hardware store. Nearby is a nice, little town park with a few taco carts along the perimeter. We take a seat at a nearby table and the cook comes over to take our order. Some fresh cooked-on-the-spit al pastor, quesadillas, and the delicious Mexican Coke take the edge off of our appetite.

On the way back to the downtown area, we make one more stop at Liqui’s so we can pick up a supply of various prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs at deep discounts (if your prescription is not a controlled substance or easily abused, it’s not a big deal to bring back a few months worth of drugs – otherwise you’ll need an ironclad prescription from your local doctor. Check the U.S. Customs web site for more information).

With that, it’s time to go back to pick up our glasses. Once we’ve got them adjusted properly, we head back across the border. Luckily, it’s the off-season for the snowbirds (who should be starting to arrive as you read this) so there is no line at the border. One time we came here right after Thanksgiving and the walk-across line was over 4 hours. The line for cars went way beyond our vision.

Today, there’s no wait and the border guards are friendly (that is not always the case). A quick glance at our passports (mandatory now), tequila, medicine , and we’re waved through.

At the exit of the checkpoint, a hundred feet or so north, is an old canal. It’s worth noting that 105 years ago the levee on the side gave way and it flooded for two years. The waters settled 70 miles away and created the Salton Sea which, of course, is still with us today.

The uncles want to do a little gambling, so we make a stop at the Quechan Resort back up the road.

It’s a big casino, mainly slots and poker. I take the time to go have a cup of coffee in their café while the rest of the group feeds the slots and plays a few hands. Gradually, one by one, we gravitate to a nice little sports bar, watching baseball playoffs while waiting for the others to finish.

It’s a nice little casino and an even better looking hotel. I’m not much of a gambler so the games don’t leave too much of an impression on me.

After the casino break, we run to the border. Crossing over the Colorado River, we head to Yuma’s big historical site, the old territorial prison.

In use in the era before Arizona became a state in 1912, the prison was the facility for many of the West’s outlaws. If you remember the move 3:10 to Yuma , this is where they were heading.

A Picture in the Museum Shows What it used to Look Like

It’s $5 to get in and, no, there is no discount for the disabled. Seniors, military, students and kids do.

Once inside, there are great views of the Colorado River back across to California, a nice little park, a guard tower (inaccessible to wheelchairs), and a time line of the prison leading up to the old Sally Port.

What we look like now...

The museum inside has many displays about prison life, how they were processed, punishments, prison crafts, and so on. One display explains how when prisoners were processed, they had their mug shots taken in front of a special mirror so that both a front view and a profile of the prisoner could be captured in one shot. There is a mirror on display that visitors can use to make their own mug shots…

...and what it would have looked like back then.

Outside of the museum is the actual remains of the prison. Heavy iron doors are mounted on 4 foot thick walls made of either iron reinforced adobe or rock. One cell is unlocked so visitors can go inside. Although the path along the cell block is accessible, wheelchairs cannot get inside of this cell.

Down the path to the end of the cell block is the dark cell. Here, prisoners served discipline time when being punished in this interior, windowless cell. With a little effort, wheelchairs can get inside here. It is very dark and the remains of an old iron cage are on the floor…watch where you roll or step!

At the end of this building, a low passageway leads to the exercise yard and some newer cells. We noticed iron rings in each cell that prisoners could be chained to.

Outside on a rocky hillside are piles of rocks marking the graves of prisoners who are buried here in the cemetery.

After our prison tour, we head back to the hotel and hang out in the patio having hotel pizza and beer, along with tasting a few samples of our newly acquired tequila (see the video of that here).

One more night of rest and it’s back on the road back home, stopping for date shakes in Mecca.

Our sight restored, medicines and liquor well stocked, and our bodies rested up, we end our trip early in the afternoon when we arrive back home.

Darryl
Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Friday, May 1, 2015

Yuma, Arizona

We're working our way through the American Southwest. This week, it's Yuma as we work our way over into Arizona. Yuma is at the convergence of California, Arizona, and Mexico...

Watch the Video!

In the old days, cowboys would come here looking for a good saloon, a bath, and maybe someone to spend the night with. Today, we’re looking for a full breakfast, a big room with a comfortable bed, and a good wifi connection.

Near the western end of town, reminders of the old days sit across the freeway from each other. The Territorial Prison on a bluff looking over the Colorado River held the area's ne'er do wells within its thick, rock walls. Those who were more upstanding…or maybe just lucky at not being caught…would have a cold beer while playing cards across the way at Lute's Casino.

For this trip, our hotel would be the Springhill Suites, just off of Interstate 8 at the 16th Street exit. Our room would be a large, semi-suite with a living room and a separate bedroom area with a king-size bed. There is also a full-size sofabed in the living room. The bathroom is large. You have your choice of a tub and bath chair, or a roll-in shower.

We don't need a roll-in so we opt for the tub.

The $81 rate includes a full, hot breakfast. No one would mistake it for gourmet, but the eggs, sausage, toast, and waffles are good and wholesome.

Nearby is another alternative, the La Fuente Inn and Suites where the price is nearly the same, the suites are really big rooms, it's not quite as accessible (no roll-in showers), but they do offer a great hot breakfast, have a really fun happy hour each night, and a beautiful pool area.

Seven miles to the west, back in California, we start the trip by walking over the border to Mexico in Los Algodones. A medical tourism hotspot catering to snowbirds, today we're just making a fast shopping trip to get some great, cheap premium tequila and some medicines to stock up our medicine cabinet with. Letty also gets some big bottles of vanilla for cooking.

Back in Yuma, a trip to the old territorial prison is in order. At a cost of $8, it's not cheap, but what a step back in time. Walking through the sally port, you see the massive, iron reinforced adobe walls. Other parts of the prison use solid rock walls five feet thick.

Small cells with chamber pots line the corridors. Some have rings embedded into the ground to chain the prisoners in place. The dark cell, used for punishment, is indeed a scary place. An iron grid on the floor outlines the spot where the former cage was. It is imperative to watch your step in this dark room.

The entire complex, save for one cell, is accessible to wheelchairs but some parts may be bumpy.

For dinner, we go over the freeway to Lute's where we sit among the memorabilia hanging throughout the room. Dinner tonight is the Lute's special, which is a cheeseburger topped with a sliced hot dog. It's good, cheap, and kind of a gutbuster.

The sun comes up late here in the winter…Arizona does not participate in daylight savings time. At 7:15 in the morning, the first rays pop up over the eastern mountains. We have a final breakfast at the hotel before packing it up and heading back on the road.

Editor's note: You may also want to view our previous reports for this destination. We took another, more extensive, trip here in October. The links are below:
Medical Tourism - Los Algodones, Mexico
Medical Tourism - Yuma, Arizona

Friday, September 27, 2013

SONORAN DESERT: A Photo Essay

We've been exploring this area here on The World on Wheels for the last week. Here are some images of this area that straddles some of the most unforgiving, yet beautiful, border area around.