Master mixologist Dale DeGroff feels a little simplicity goes a long way when it comes to making margaritas.
“Some people forget when they are adding all the complex spices and other ingredients that a simple, really good tequila, Cointreau and lime juice can result in an extraordinary cocktail,” the drink slinger said in a phone interview from his home on Long Island.
He should know. Dubbed King Cocktail, DeGroff has become one of the foremost authorities and innovative minds in the field of drink creation, with an emphasis placed on classic recipes and fresh ingredients.
He also happens to be one of the judges at the Sixth Annual World Margarita Championship, at Maynards Market and Kitchen, 400 N. Toole Ave., Oct. 27.
The three-hour event will feature bartenders from independent restaurants across Tucson, as well as a couple from Mexico, and is part of the larger 2011 Tucson Culinary Festival, taking place Oct. 27-30.
“It is a fun, packed event,” said Felipe Garcia, chair of the competition and Vice President of Community Affairs and Mexico Marketing with the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The margarita has a rich history surrounding it. It talks about who we are.”
DeGroff has whipped up many-a-margarita in his day. Once an aspiring actor, the cocktail commander started his career between auditions, at the New York bar & grill, Charley O’s, eventually becoming famed restaurateur Joe Baum’s lead drink guy at the now-defunct Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.
“In New York, you live in such tiny places,” DeGroff said. “You spend a lot of waking hours outside of that little box, and quite often, that time is spent in your neighborhood saloon.”
DeGroff has never been to Tucson, but he has shown the ropes to a number of local mixologists through his traveling training seminar, known as BarSmarts. He plans on sampling some tasty margaritas at the competition and catching up with some of his old students during his three-day visit.
“I haven’t had an opportunity to see them on their home turf,” he said.
The Maynards Market and Kitchen patio hosts the competition from 6pm-9pm, Oct. 27. Tickets cost $45 per person and includes margarita and tequila tastings, as well a taco and Sonoran hot dog feast. The event is part of the larger Tucson Culinary Festival, being held at points around town, Oct. 27-30. For more information, visit TucsonCulinaryFestival.com.
