Tequila can evoke a fair share of nightmares, but Isabel’s Amor founder Tim Vasquez hopes that when guests taste his tequila, their fears will ease.
On May 1, he introduced Isabel’s Signature Tequila Reposado. The exclusive tequila was selected by Vasquez for the Gilbert restaurant in collaboration with master distillers in Jalisco, Mexico. Vasquez toured the fields and saw how the agave is harvested and distilled.
“I’ve been really much more into tequila and the process, like the different styles,” said Vasquez, also the restaurateur behind Someburros.
“But when I went down there and saw, with my own eyes, the work being done, it was inspirational. Then we tasted multiple barrels and selected the one that we thought would pair the best with the food at Isabel’s Amor.”
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Reposado, which means “rested,” is in an oak barrel for 12 months and finished in a Jack Daniel’s barrel.
“You can taste the caramel, a little vanilla, a little bit of banana,” Vasquez said. “It’s amazing. If you taste several tequilas side by side, it’s incredible the difference the aging process can make on the flavor.”
The restaurant’s name honors his grandmother, Isabel Vasquez, and her recipes. Vasquez said her home-cooked meals, hospitality, and unconditional love still inspire Isabel’s Amor’s staff.
“We take as much time and care as she used to put into her ingredients and her food. I thought we should put that same time and care into the tequila that we pour,” he said.
A Sonoran-inspired restaurant, Isabel’s Amor features housemade tortillas, signature salsas and craft cocktails that blend authentic flavor with a modern approach.
Through May 31, Isabel’s Amor’s will serve limited-time cocktails crafted to showcase the tequila’s depth, character and smooth, barrel-aged finish. Guest can then choose their favorite, and the cocktail with the most votes will have a permanent place on the menu.
The cocktails include Pasion de Isabel, with passion fruit; Tequila Carajillo, which has an “unexpected coffee flavor;” Raspberry Besito, with a sweet raspberry taste; and Sonoran Sunset Spritz, a mix of citrus layers.
Vasquez visited the restaurant on Cinco de Mayo to offer samples, and the response surprised him.
“There are a lot of people out there who had a bad experience drinking bad tequila when they were in high school or college,” Vasquez said with a chuckle.
“A lot of us have done that. So, they hear the word ‘tequila,’ or they see it being poured, and they get scared. What they don’t understand is that drinking 100% agave tequila is so delicious, as opposed to the gold tequila they were drinking that wasn’t made from 100% agave.”
Vasquez said he and his staff enjoy educating guests and quelling their fears. His tequila isn’t something to slam with lime and salt, he said. The spirit should be sipped like good whiskey, either over ice or in a margarita.
Isabel’s Amor opened in 2013 and expanded in 2021 to open, what he coined, the East Valley’s tequila bar. His children are grown, so he and his wife, Julie, had the time to travel to Mexico and “immerse us in the culture and tequila culture. It was time to learn new things.”
1490 E. Williams Field Rd., Suite 101, Gilbert
480-290-7060
