Located and produced in the heart of Mexico’s tequila region, in the tiny town of Amatitan, Jalisco, Tequila Herradura is 100% blue agave tequila carefully crafted using traditional methods, such as cooking the agave in clay ovens and fermenting naturally with wild yeast.

This sophisticated process delivers a rich, smooth and unexpected taste that evokes memories of our agave fields. Tequila Herradura is all natural and estate bottled and includes:

Herradura Silver ~ Aged for 45 days in American oak barrels, the touch of oak gives a light straw color and hint of vanilla with a warm finish. Ideal for margaritas, Herradura Blanco is smooth and surprising with a rich flavor of agave that is certain to ignite your senses.

Herradura Reposado ~ Aged for 11 months, a full nine months longer than required by Mexican law, Herradura Reposado is deep in color with a cinnamon and oak aroma that provokes a rich, smooth and unexpected mild taste. Herradura Reposado can enhance various meals for a delectable cuisine experience and can be enjoyed mixed or neat in a snifter. Casa Herradura introduced the first Reposado to the commercial market in 1974.

Herradura Añejo ~ Aged for 25 months, 13 months longer than the industry standard. Its deep copper color hints to its oaky, spicy taste, which is apparent at the sniff of this refined expression and lingers on even after the first sip. Enjoyed like a fine Cognac or bourbon, Herradura Añejo is truly one of the world’s finest ultra premium spirits.

Herradura Selección Suprema ~ Aged for more than 49 months in American oak barrels, Casa Herradura introduced the first Extra Añejo, Selección Suprema in 1995. Very dark copper in color with an intense aroma of brown spice and floral notes, this tequila gives a creamy, soft finish with a long aftertaste. From the bottle design to the creamy and soft consistency, Herradura Selección Suprema is a delight to each sense. The result is an enormously complex, world class sipping tequila.

With this portfolio of ultra premium products certain to satisfy even the most discriminating palate, Tequila Herradura, imported by Brown-Forman of Louisville, KY, can be appreciated as part of a margarita or other mixed cocktail, by itself in a snifter, or as an ingredient in one of many delicious summer recipes.

CASA HERRADURA BAY SCALLOP CEVICHE by Chef Mark Williams, Brown-Forman Corporation

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 pound fresh bay scallops

1 cups fresh lime juice

½ cup Casa Herradura Silver Tequila

3 tbs. diced white onion

1 cup ripe tomatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup fresh tomatillos, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Fresh hot green chiles (2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapenos), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Directions

In a 1 1/2-quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the scallops, lime juice, casa herradura tequila and onion. Use enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float freely; too little juice means unevenly “cooked” fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until the scallops no longer look raw .in a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, olives and olive oil. Stir in the first ingredients and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Serve in a margarita or martini glass rimmed with coarse salt.

CASA HERRADURA BEEF ARRACHERA (Grilled Garlic-Marinated Flank Steak with Lime) by Chef Mark Williams

Ingredients

Marinade:

3 pounds flank steak

3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup Casa Herradura Reposada Tequila

¼ cup fresh lime juice coarse

Salt to taste

Use when grilling:

1 tablespoon coarse salt

½ tablespoon ground cumin

½ tablespoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Whisk together marinade ingredients above Marinate steaks, covered and chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Prepare grill. Season steaks generously with seasonings and grill on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or cook in a sauté pan set over medium high heat for the same amount of time. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and drizzle with lime juice. Let steaks stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes and with a sharp knife cut diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve steak with sauce below.

CHIPOTLE PICO DE GALLO

Servings: Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chopped seed tomatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup Casa Herradura Tequila

Preparation

Combine fresh lime juice, chipotle chilies and minced garlic in large bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, onion, tequila and fresh cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Let pico de gallo stand 1 hour at room temperature to allow flavors to develop.

CASA HERRADURA SUMMER GARDEN GAZPACHO by Chef Mark Williams

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound)

1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded

1 medium onion

1 large roasted red bell pepper (available in jars)

3 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup rice wine or apple cider vinegar

¼ cup Casa Herradura Silver Tequila

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preparation

Cut 1 tomato, 1/2 cucumber and 1/2 onion into 1-inch pieces and transfer to processor. Add bell pepper and puree. Transfer to bowl. Add tomato juice, cilantro, vinegar, Casa Herradura Tequila, oil and hot pepper sauce. Seed remaining tomato. Dice remaining tomato and cucumber and onion halves and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.) Serve well chilled.

***

HERRADURA SPLASH (only 98 calories!)

Named for the refreshment it provides, the Herradura Splash combines the sweet flavor of pineapple, tangy flavor of cranberry and the rich taste of Herradura Silver making it perfect for the hot summer season. The Herradura Splash is a burst of flavor that is sure to make anyone feel relaxed while they lounge by the pool, lake, on the sand or just about anywhere outdoors.

Ingredients

1.25 ounces Herradura Silver

2 ounces Light pineapple Juice

2 ounces Light cranberry Juice

Splash of diet lemon-lime soda

Preparation

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, juices, lemon-lime soda, and shake. Serve over ice.

HERRADURA SUGAR AND SPICE MARGARITA (great accompaniment for outdoor barbeques and grilling!)

Ingredients

2 oz Herradura Reposado

½ oz Agave nectar

½ oz Fresh squeezed lime juice

1 oz Mango Juice

Cayenne salt (mix cayenne to salt ratio of 1:4)

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Cayenne salt rim

Method

1.) Gently wipe a lime wedge round the rim of a chilled coupe glass and lightly press into a plate of cayenne salt; take care to shake off any lumps of cayenne.

2.) Place add liquid ingredient into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously.

3.) Strain into a chilled coupe glass taking care not to disturb the cayenne salt rim

HERRADURA REFRESHER

Ingredients

2 oz Herradura Silver

½ oz Freshly squeezed lime juice

½ oz Simple syrup

1 inch Cucumber (diced)

6-8 mint leaves

Top soda

Glass: Hi-ball

Garnish: Cucumber disc and a mint sprig

Method

1.) Place mint then cucumber into a cocktail shaker and gently crush with a muddler.

2.) Add the Herradura Silver, simple syrup and lime juice to the shaker.

3.) Fill shaker with Ice and shake vigorously to break down the mint and cucumber

4.) Strain through a fine strainer (to remove all the little bits of mint) into a Hi-ball glass filled with cubed ice and top with soda.

5.) Garnish with a cucumber disc and a mint sprig.

For the latest news from Tequila Herradura, visit www.facebook.com/HerraduraTequila.

www.lagoristorante.com/

When you’re hungry for lunch, grab a fresh and healthy alternative to the ’same old thing’. In the evening, sit down for a delicious, home-cooked meal in their casual, comfortable dining room.

Whether you’re tailgating at the game or shaking sand out of your shorts after a hot day at the beach, summer’s definitely full of occasions that call for a refreshing beer. The Samuel Adams brewers take pride in bottling a selection of summer-inspired brews that capture all the season’s beat beer-drinking moments, and here are two of my faves:

Samuel Adams Summer Ale ~ a tried and true favorite ~ is the perfect brew for kicking back on the porch on a hot day. Brewed with lemon zest and Grains of Paradise (a centuries-old exotic African pepper rumored to have ~ oh yeah! ~ aphrodisiac qualities), Summer Ale is crisp and lemony, with a hint of spice on the finish. Summer Ale’s yeast creates tangy tropical mango and peach flavors while the peppery notes from the Grains add volume and depth.

Samuel Adams Belgian Session is a crisp, bright version of a traditional Belgian beer with fruity, slightly spicy flavors from the Belgian yeast. After many trial batches made from a finicky Belgian yeast, the brewers redefined the typical session beer style, using subtly sweet toffee and caramel notes from a blend of pale and honey malts to harmonize with the yeast’s distinctive fruity and spicy flavors. By definition, session beers contain no higher than 5% ABV (Belgian Session is 4.3%), allowing the drinker to enjoy multiple beers during a “session.”

If you’re heating up the grill, try using a great craft beer as a marinade for spicing up your favorite meats. Below is our go-to Summer Ale marinade, created by Chef David Burke:

Samuel Adams Summer Ale Chicken Marinade

Marinate chicken in the following at least six hours before grilling.

• 2 bottles Sam Adams Summer Ale
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

Summer Ale and Belgian Session are both part of the Samuel Adams Summer Styles Variety 12-pack (available through late August). This year’s pack also includes Boston Lager, Cherry Wheat, East-West Kolsh and Noble Pils. Boston Lager and Summer Ale are available separately in six-packs.

For additional beer-infused recipes, check out www.samueladams.com.

Located at 58 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Allgos Sweets and Drinks has re-opened as of March 1st with new menu items ~ but with the same charm that made it one of Worcester’s favorite places to grab drinks and dessert.

Due to extensive water and mold damage caused by a fire on the third floor of the building where Allgos is located, the sweet spot had to shut down last June.

“We were going to change everything for our re-opening, from the menu to the décor, but we started to miss the original items and atmosphere, and decided to put everything back to its original form,” said owner Naat Paiva.

The atmosphere is welcoming, surrounding guests in colors like chocolate and olive. “It’s very rustic and laid back. We have couches and lounge chairs with local artwork hanging on the walls,” Paiva said.

Allgos offers delicious dessert items including profiteroles and a pecan chocolate torte. They have also introduced new spring and summer menu items like gelato. All desserts are $7 and under.

Drinks include everything from beers, martinis, 8-12 infused vodka flavors and high-end scotches to cappuccinos and lattes. Make sure to check out the popular “molecular drinks,” too!

“We do these as alcoholic or coffee that have a little, squishy ball in them. Press on the ball and based on the drink, either a shot of espresso or alcohol explodes in your mouth for an extra burst,” Paiva explained.

Allgos has live music Thursdays-Sundays and holds private parties at no charge for 40-50 people.

“We cater to everyone. I have regulars who are in their 20s and 50s. We always try to do something different and give people something to look forward to,” Paiva said.

Allgos is open Wednesday-Sunday 6pm-2am, with outdoor seating from 6-11pm. Visit www.allgoslounge.com for more information.

We’re all familiar with the well-worn script played out across America all too often: a McDonalds opens in a quaint little town and with its seemingly inescapable greasy magnetism soon becomes THE place to eat out. But then the townspeople awaken from this French-fry induced delirium, decide they’ve tired of McEverything, and stop purchasing happy meals for the grandkids and Cholesterol Burgers for themselves. And what happens? McDonalds gets replaced by an Italian restaurant that people love.

Is this a tribute to the people of West Boylston? Or to the enduring popularity of Italian cuisine and the talent of the savvy individuals who run Il Forno? It’s worth a visit to find out, and visit we did.

West Boylston’s Il Forno is actually one of four locations, and a faithful diner at the table next to me recited them all when I asked Kate, our waitress, to show me the map emblazoned on the back of her t-shirt. I had never visited the golden arched dining establishment that came before, but there’s not a trace of Ronald remaining. The fast-food karma has, thankfully, vanished. Il Forno invites guests to bring their own bottle of wine to compliment the traditional Italian dinners, allowing us to add a personal touch to our meal.

We started our meal with Fried Calamari served with Fra Diavolo sauce. The Fra Diavolo seemed to be Il Forno’s marinara sprinkled generously with red pepper flakes. This was a classic example of simple elegance ~ fresh and devilishly spicy without getting downright satanic. They provide a generous amount or sauce, so we asked Kate for bread to slather up the leftovers. She brought a basket of buttery-soft fresh-baked garlic bread.

And the calamari itself… It was fresh and deep-fried to a light golden crisp in oil that hadn’t been overworked, so the dish was free of oily or burnt flavors. The portion of rings and tentacles was just enough for sharing but not excessive ~ which was fortunate because the entrees were huge.

Unlike most restaurants, at Il Forno salad is included with most entrées. Romaine lettuce, chopped red cabbage and red onion slices were tossed with a few olives and a cherry tomato and served in chilled glass dishes. Crunchy-freshness prevailed. Salad dressings are an Il Forno specialty, homemade and decanted into big wine bottles on each table. I chose creamy Italian and dressed my own salad. Perfect for the salad-lover who has everything, gift baskets of personal-sized dressings are offered for sale on the way out.

For my main course, I heeded Kate’s enthusiastic advice and ordered the Seafood Combo Francese. The seafood came in twos, pairs of jumbo shrimp, sea scallops and hefty haddock filets. They were lightly coated in egg batter, quickly dipped in the deep fry, then sautéed with lemon, butter and white wine. Into the sauté pan had gone a toss of chopped tomatoes, sliced Porto Bella mushrooms, and snow pea pods ~ perfect for rounding out flavor, color and texture.

From the first bite of tomato, the richness of the sauce was undeniable. The seafood was fresh and not overcooked; the egg batter had absorbed the lemony-light butter sauce which coated through a deep bed of linguine noodles. This meal was so huge I could barely finish half of it… Kate was happy to box up the remainder for take-home while simultaneously lavishing praise upon my friend for finishing his Veal Piccata Scaloppini. This recipe has gone so wrong in so many kitchens, but Il Forno nailed it perfectly ~ a sauté of lemon, butter, white wine and capers bathed five cutlets of tender veal. Each ingredient is critical and must be, as they were in this preparation, in perfect flavor-balance.

Hats off to you, West Boylston, you did what any common-sense town should do ~ you traded lackluster fast-food for superior homemade cuisine served in a relaxed setting. Kudos to you, and kudos to Il Forno.

Il Forno
65 W Boylston St, West Boylston,
508-835-3700 | www.il-forno.com/WestBoylston