Writing a love letter to the margarita is basically the same as writing a love letter to my friend Monique.
Monique is an absolutely unique human being. Surely we all have somebody like her in our lives – that person whose lunacy is only matched by her generosity – but Monique is one of a kind.
Monique and I met through my sister Kit, who felt our shared passion for bar culture should be celebrated. And we’ve been cursing Kit since. One of my first conversations with Monique tackled the margarita – oft-overlooked yet essential in cocktail culture. I had my favorites, Monique’s came from left field.
“Wahoo’s had the best margaritas – they even used Everclear,” she said in a voice that always sounds two-drinks-in. “But then they changed the recipe, and lemme tell you, they shouldn’t have done that.”
Wahoo’s (multiple locations, including 225 E. 20th Ave, 303-292-0850) to me had always been the chill taco joint down the street. That they even had a bar was news to me. But the even bigger news was that this supposed margarita maven was telling me her favorite juice came from a chain taco shack.
The gauntlet was thrown, so it was time to taste-test – but not until after Monique launched a good-sized letter/comment card-writing campaign, calling for the return of the Everclear margaritas. (For the uninitiated, Everclear is a brand of 190-proof grain alcohol that some swear is akin to legal moonshine.) The restaurants returned to the old recipe; and Monique claims credit.
Wahoo’s margs are the best in town. Flat-out. I love that Mezcal, Tamayo and others use fresh lime juice, but too much of that gives an aficionado indigestion. The Rio’s pack a punch, but why sacrifice taste for potency? Wahoo’s has it all: a clear, smooth drink that packs an unexpected punch. Ask the guy pouring the $12 carafe if there’s Everclear in there, and he’ll smile.
“Yeah, but we’re not supposed to tell anybody that. It’s hard to hide, though, when it’s all back there,” he says, motioning toward a massive blue cage holding boxes of tequila and Everclear.
Staff writer Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-820-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
Funky: Best margs in town!
Skunky: Respect the Everclear.