Tequila, anyone? Tucson's Margarita Championship is back this weekend

Chef Wendy Gauthier plans a lemon and ginger-infused hibiscus margarita.

Bisbee Breakfast Club is going with a smoked margarita and Vero Amore will mix up an Italian-accented margarita.

They are among the 20 restaurants competing in the World Margarita Championship Aug. 10. Expect crazy-flavored margaritas, from sweet to not-so-sweet. Chefs will also whip up food to match the drinks.

The event, run by the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance in partnership with Tucson Originals, will feature food and margarita tastings from local restaurants fighting to win the title of Margarita Champion.

Judges will make the call on some awards, but margarita-crazed attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. Beware though — that might be hard to do.

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

“It’s a really anticipated event in the community,” SAACA’s communications and marketing manager Gretchen Harper says. “We get to showcase all these really great restaurants and assets in our region that are specifically locally owned.”

As for SAACA’s involvement, the nonprofit dedicates itself to the preservation of the arts, creating artistic opportunities for people throughout the community. And, of course, that includes food and drink.

“We like to highlight culinary arts of this region,” Harper says.

The event is not all about tequila and tasty tidbits: It’s also a fundraiser for SAACA’s arts therapy programs.

“People know they’re coming to this really cool party,” Harper says. “But they’re also supporting a community development. We work really hard to make events like this come to fruition, so to see it all come together, in all its glory — it’s really amazing to see everybody enjoying this part of our community.”

HISTORY

Tucson Originals started the Margarita Championship 13 years ago as part of a weekend-long culinary festival.

But the Margarita Championship became so popular that the organization of independent Tucson restaurants decided to make it its own event. And with the event’s increasing popularity after only a few years, Tucson Originals reached out to SAACA for help.

“Both of us do culinary events and it seemed like a natural pairing,” Tucson Originals President Mat Cable says.

Cable says the competition features some of the best margaritas in Tucson prepared by Tucson Originals member restaurants and nonmembers alike. When it started, the competition was limited to Originals members.

“Now anyone who has a restaurant or bar is welcome,” Cable says. “We have yet to turn anyone away.”

Food also wasn’t really a thing at the championship in the beginning.

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“It used to be just margaritas,” says Cable, co-owner of Fresco Pizzeria & Pastaria, which last year won the judge’s choice award for Fresco’s Limoncello Margarita. “Now, we focus on the food aspect, too. Not everyone will bring food, and not everyone will bring a margarita.”

Some margarita competitions can be very strict, Cable notes; this one isn’t.

“It’s not your average margarita competition,” he says. “The rules aren’t too stuffy. Everyone is encouraged to be creative and not necessarily follow all the rules of a typical margarita.”

THE PARTICIPANTS

More than 20 bars and eateries across Tucson will battle it out in this year’s Margarita Championship.

Last year, Casino del Sol’s Tequila Factory took first place in the people’s choice category and second place for the judge’s choice. The entry was a Mexican passionflower margarita — a mix of passion fruit puree, lime, lemon, tequila and dry curacao.

“I think this event is awesome because it brings not only the community together, but the chefs and bartenders,” Casino del Sol’s executive chef Ryan Clark says. “It bridges that gap a little bit.”

“A lot of events are either food or bartending competitions, but this event brings the front- and the back-of-the-house together. It’s a good opportunity for the community to see both sides,” he says.

This year, Clark will be the one entering a margarita in the competition and he’s planning a classic drink with a frozen sorbet.

“It’ll be fun to see a chef’s vision on a cocktail,” he says.

When he’s not snacking on the food at the event, Clark says he’s looking forward to seeing how his fellow competitors will “push the boundaries” with their cocktail recipes.

Another winner in last year’s Margarita Championship was Chef Chic. The catering company took the bronze with third place in the people’s choice category.

Chef Chic competed with a Tropical Creamsicle margarita — a combination of coconut milk, orange juice, lime juice, orange liqueur and tequila.

“It’s fun to be super-creative and see what other chefs are doing,” Chef Chic chef-owner Wendy Gauthier says. “It’s fun to play with different flavors and figure out what foods go with them.”

Gauthier said she decided to venture in a different direction this year with a hibiscus margarita infused with lemon and ginger. She also cast hibiscus in a starring role for the hibiscus flower poke bowl she’s preparing for the event.

“The Margarita Championship is fun because they have judges, but they also have a people’s choice,” Gauthier says. “Everyone has different taste buds, but there’s something at the event for everyone.”