Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting 2026: Enjoying The Good Life

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The ‘Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting’ event at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, this past Saturday was cozy and exciting for all. The weather might have been 100 degrees outside, but it was cool enough inside to take in Latin-inspired samples and the tasting of the different Tequilas in their different forms in the convention center’s second floor. The event followed the successful annual Woodlands Wine & Food Week’s 2026, organized by Constance McDerby and Food & Vine Time Productions. Tequila and food vendors were intermingled with one another allowing visitors to pick and choose between their proteins and agave inspired creations.

H-E-B is a wonderful sponsor of each event, with their Gourmet Nacho Bar, creating a filling Nacho bowl with either beef or chicken, queso, salsa, guacamole, and a black bean corn salad, all topped on a base of tortilla chips. It was a wonderful start to the night, and was a great hit amongst event goers. Kudos go out to H-E-B Chefs and the Cooking Connections Regional team, for creating an incredible dish, and as usual, H-E-B loves to offer dishes with ingredients that come right from their shelves; which can easily give event goers ideas that can easily be recreated at home with a little time and effort.

The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel Sous Chef Shuvankar Mahapatra offered an innovative ‘Mini Woodlands Bison Burger,’ with hardwood-smoked bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and a Texas Blueberry Whiskey Compote. It was a very popular booth, and in the Bison slider, you can tell the difference in the taste.

There were dozens of craft tequila selections, as well as specialty cocktails on hand that were enjoyed by all, each having their own distinct characteristics that set them apart from each other. With American inspiration, if you think about it, your will be done. The beauty of the Tequilas on-hand, were their sipability. There was no need to throw one back, like with the rougher Mezcal’s, and indeed the selections were of the higher quality very much suitable to the attendees. Of course, each brand like Agazul Tequila Artesanal, Bribon, Chareau, Centinela, Dos Sueños, Elacabo Raicilla, El Tesoro de Don Felipe, G4 Tequila, Herradura, Melquiades, Satoma, Surtierra, Tierra-Noble, Tres Agaves, and Vivamor. Each had representatives on hand to share the mastery of their company’s craft.

Thistle Draftshop’s ‘Cod Ceviche Nachos’, presented a lovely Mexican seafood cocktail with marinated wild-caught watermelon, poblano pico de gallo, poblano crema, agua chile, rock melon, and a crispy tortilla strip. TD’s owner Mary Thorn, made the delicate tortilla strips herself, and adores her award winning chef Trenis Shields, who goes to his happy place when dreaming up new dishes. Tren is a remarkable young chef that has amazed since coming on-scene several years ago.

Pastel Pizza, a Venezuela branded restaurant started 10 years ago from an apartment, then food truck, and now has several restaurants along with a Spring location. They have taken the arepa and pizzified it into a delicious bite size Pastelito filled with Italian or traditional Venezuelan themed ingredients. It pairs well with their tartara sauce. Their Tequenos, which looked like a cheese filled egg roll, come with a verde sauce, and are equal to the task of being tasty and filling.

Houston based Chefs United is a great catering shop that aims to impress. They brought a lovely little ‘Mexican Street Corn with Chipotle Chicken’ bowl made with Chipotle and garlic marinated chicken, roasted corn, chili seasoning, cilantro, Cotija cheese and aioli. The light flavor of the charred corn melded nicely with the chicken, cheese, aioli, and maintained only a minimal heat, which is very tolerable for all sensitive palates.

Every year there are several short seminars on tequila provided for event goers by different makers, and the Morales Beverage Group submitted samples from the Agavales and Vivamor lines for this go around. The Agavales Blanco, from the family’s older brand, is wonderfully peppery, very aromatic, and is free from the burn, yet it pleases with a hint of sweetness and citrus that will make you wonder about experimentation with mixed drinks. The pepper does linger with a super long lasting finish, and if you are not used to peppery extremes, it could cause some discomfort.

From MGB’s Vivamor line, their Reposado is exceptional, and will have you thinking Tequila Old Fashioned with a grand celebration in mind. Quite simply it’s a winner, with a sugary aroma along with baked pie crust. It’s for sure one of those sips you want to linger on your palate for far longer than is appropriate, for its smooth and lasting finish will bring back memories that are certainly pleasing.

The next event will be The Platinum Wine Vault at Bayway Cadillac of The Woodlands, on September 18th. It offers a great opportunity for serious wine enthusiasts to experience over 100 premium wines, as well as samples from the best chefs, of the best restaurants in the area. The PWV allows attendees, and their tastebuds to experience exceptional wines from across The World, and experience the offerings from truly amazing chefs and their culinary inspirations. For those that attended the Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase early in the summer, you won’t want to miss The Platinum Wine Vault, set in a cozy, intimate, and indulgent setting.

Website for information and tickets: wineandfoodweek.com