Mario Marquez’s passion for tequila knowledge started working with Café Coyote in Old Town, San Diego eight years ago. Mario was determined to educate himself on the list of more than 100 tequilas on the menu. It began as a hobby and grew into a passion for everything tequila.

Over the years Mario has gained an in depth understanding of tequila and tequila culture. He constantly studies this magical spirit and is always trying to learn something new and interesting about the more than 1000 tequilas brands that compete in the market.

Mario’s passion for tequila has him spending most of his vacation and personal time to studying tequila and visits over 17 different distilleries in the tequila-producing regions.  He makes at least two trips every year to immerse himself in this unique tequila culture.  Mario has found that his Mexican travels have reinforced his love for Mexico and its traditions. He spends a lot of time visiting his birthplace in San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato.

Mario Marquez has acquired his tequila knowledge by reading, traveling, attending tequila seminars, conducting interviews, and talking to people who work in the tequila industry. In an effort to help him build his understanding of what it takes to make quality tequila Mario has met with various master distillers, distillery owners, scientists, educators, and agave harvesters (jimadores). Mario has tasted and examined more than 600 tequilas in the 100 percent agave category.

On September 15th, 2007, Mario Marquez became one of the first certified Tequilier Ambassadeurs in the entire United States. Mario received this expert certificate from the highly respected Mexican Academy of Tequila.

For the past two years Mario has proudly served as a judge at the Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition (www.polishedpalate.com). This spectacular event is the largest of its kind in the United States. In 2009 Mario tasted and evaluated 111 entrees that included tequilas, mescals, sotols and infused agave-based spirits.

Mario is an individual that believes that an education is a life-long process. On March 9th, 2009, Mario became the second person outside of Mexico to attend and complete the Catador 1 and Catador 2 expert seminars on tequila tasting. These seminars were held in Mexico City at the World Trade Center. During these seminars Mario was exposed to rigorous scientific approaches that dealt with the overall tequila process and methods of how to professionally analyze and evaluate tequila.

These 4 day seminars were taught by Andrés Rodriguez- Reynoso, President of La Academia Mexican del Tequila (www.acamextequila.com) and Mr. Ricardo Higelin Iselin, Master Tequilier and Director of Mexico’s Valley Chapter.

Most recently Mario has taken part in co-teaching two tequilier certification courses. The first seminar was held on November 19, 2009 in Old Town, San Diego. The two-day course focused on a wide range of topics in the field of tequila. These topics included governmental regulatory standards, appellation of origin, history, production, statistics and development of organoleptic senses.  Mario also co taught the first ever tequilier certification seminar outside of California on January 30, 2010. This seminar was taught to the staff of Ritas’s Tequila House in historic Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

These accomplishments have brought Mario recognition in the tequila industry as a true connoisseur of tequila. You can meet Mario Marquez at El Zarape Restaurant on Tuesday nights from 5-10 p.m.  Mario will personally guide you through over 100 tequilas to help you learn and select the one that is right for you. Mario is always glad to be your Tequila Ambassador.