female announcer: "Fresh Glass" is brought to you by Visit California.

University of California.

Cal State University San Marcos.

CCAE Theatricals, transforming lives through theater, creating pathways in the arts, inspiring the next generation of arts leaders.

Maya's Cookies.

You can visit their locations, or order online at mayascookies.com.

The County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce.

Computers 2 Kids.

Lifetime Smiles of Escondido, with additional contributions from "Fresh Glass" Innovators.

Thank you.

For a complete list of financial contributors, visit aptonline.org Cassandra: On this episode of "Fresh Glass," the adventure in Baja continues.

♪♪♪ female: It's so good.

Cassandra: We shake things up, dance the night away, and meet the queen of ceviche.

male: That's perfect, that's wonderful.

female: This is "Fresh Glass."

Derrick Jones: Cheers.

Cassandra: I'm Cassandra Schaeg, entrepreneur, advocate, and enthusiast.

Food, beverage, and entrepreneurship are growing, with diverse innovators creating brands and making a name for themselves.

female: We are the McBride sisters.

Cassandra: Join me, exploring unique flavors, captivating stories, and the entrepreneurial spirit of America's tapestry, I'm creating a space for people who look like me to share their stories and their spirits.

This is "Fresh Glass."

male: [speaking in Spanish] Mexican music.

♪♪♪ [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] Cassandra: It's day two in Baja, and yesterday was quite the adventure.

male: [singing in Spanish] Cassandra: Uncle Ray has another day of fun planned, but first we need to grab lunch.

Cassandra: I just figured out my life plan-- female: I'm moving to Baja.

Cassandra: I'm moving to Baja.

male: [singing in Spanish] Cassandra: Los Portales is a cliffside dining experience overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

♪♪♪ The waves are loud and soothing, and there's a chance you'll get wet on your way to the secret cave for Mezcal tastings.

Oh, they made me wear the sombrero.

Cassandra: Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic drink made from agave, it's primarily produced in Oaxaca, Mexico.

female: It's very good for the body.

You know, if you are very sick, one shot of Mezcal and that's it.

Cassandra: Cures everything.

female: Yeah.

Cassandra: Well, in that case.

Ray Ochoa: I'll take two.

female: Let's try it.

Cassandra: Let's try it.

female: It's really good.

Cassandra: So what do you recommend we start this off with?

female: We have Bacanora from Sonora, it's very smooth, it's very floral.

Cassandra: I just feel like that's gonna put hair on my chest, I smell it, do you smell it?

female: Has 48%.

female: Wow.

Cassandra: Wait, what, what?

female: 48%.

female: 48, not bad.

Evelyn Ochoa: This is to my, my stepfather, and I called him my father because he took such good care of me, but he was from Sonora, Mexico, and this is how I found out about this Bacanora.

Cassandra: My first shot of Mezcal had an herbal flavor with a touch of spice, it tastes great by itself, or in a cocktail, or with crickets?

Ray: You gotta have crickets, you gotta have crickets.

female: Oh, I want crickets, yes, they're really good, they're salty and crunchy, they are really good.

Ray: Tastes like chicken.

female: You have to try it, you have to try it.

Ray: They're crunchy.

Cassandra: Why are you saying crickets like it's a everyday thing?

I'm about to eat crickets.

Evelyn: It's good, you have to.

Cassandra: What in the --?

female: Close your eyes, just eat them.

Cassandra: So, wait, do I crunch?

female: Which order, you do the cricket first or first?

female: I prefer orange with habanero salt, gracias.

Ray: There, there's your fruit platter.

Cassandra: Okay, so dip it in here.

female: Dip it on the salt.

Ray: Dump on a little salt.

Cassandra: We're just sipping it, we don't have to, okay, so, dip in salt, eat some.

female: That's it.

female: Nice.

Cassandra: Ooh, that's good.

female: And then the cricket.

Cassandra: And eat a cricket.

Ray: Then a cricket, you gotta eat a cricket.

Cassandra: Okay, I'm gonna pass this around.

Ray: When you come to Mexico, you gotta eat a cricket.

Cassandra: I'm gonna eat a cricket, I promise.

You're gonna catch me, I'm gonna eat a cricket, y'all.

female: It's salty.

female: Don't even think about it.

female: Yeah, it's salty.

Ray: One, two.

Cassandra: Right?

Uncle Ray is like, "Uh, uh, uh."

female: Do it, do it, do it.

Cassandra: One, two.

female: Three.

Ray: Pass me that?

Evelyn: The things they make you do in Mexico.

Cassandra: I did it.

Ray: We haven't even started on that side.

female: The Mexican whiskey's really good.

female: One Mexican whiskey, just one, just one to taste it, one Mexican whiskey.

female: Oh, my favorite is Origen 35, it's from Oaxaca.

You can put a little bit of chocolate in your mouth.

Ray: Chocolate first?

Cassandra: Chocolate first?

Cassandra: Oh, man, that.

female: 72% of cacao.

Cassandra: Oh my gosh, I didn't expect this.

female: Super earthy.

Cassandra: I was like, "Trees?"

female: Yeah, it's like earthy, and yeah.

Cassandra: Pine?

Like pine.

female: Maybe, yeah, pine or cedar.

Cassandra: Yup, there it is.

Evelyn: So what do you like, do you like the tequilas more than the whiskey or do you like the vino?

female: I think I'm a Mezcal person, I love the Mezcalitas.

Evelyn: That's actually pretty smooth.

female: And here in Portales, we have a Mezcalita with passion fruit.

Cassandra: Wait a minute.

Ray: We wanna have that for lunch, we wanna have that with lunch, mezcalita, it's cocktail, it's a cocktail made with Mezcal, everybody has their own recipe, most of the restaurants will create their own mezcalita, and mezcalita, it means little Mezcal, but it's usually not that little, it's a great cocktail, and we're gonna have those for lunch.

All right, you guys ready to eat some food?

Cassandra: Please.

female: Let's do it.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Cassandra: After lunch, we head back to change, and then it's off to Ensenada.

Cassandra: Ray, do you know I am over 40, right?

Ray: Would you like a little more?

I'm sorry.

Cassandra: No.

Ray: I didn't mean to insult you, welcome aboard, let's get the tequila tasting party.

Cassandra: Wait, y'all gonna have to do a shot with me, don't have me out here.

Ray: Oh yeah, no, everybody, yeah, they're gonna get one or they're, hey, they're gonna get one as they board.

Cassandra: Ensenada is Baja California's third largest city, it's nicknamed the Cinderella of the Pacific, and thrives with locals, tourists, and commerce.

Cassandra: They have the Padres.

Cassandra: My first stop is Doña Engracia for tequila tasting.

Xavier Gerard: Hello, my name is Xavier Gerard, I'm the grandson of Doña Engracia Tequila, nice to meet you guys.

Cassandra: Can you give us a little rundown of how tequila is made?

Xavier: So, chicos, tequila is made with the agave plant.

So, first, agave have to grow, it needs 6 to 10 years to be ready.

When agave is ready, we need to cut it in half, cook it for three days in a volcanic stone oven, then crush the agaves, and pass it to ferment.

The fermentation takes seven days and, after that we need to distill, two distillations.

And once it's ready with all the alcohol we need, we're gonna age it for two months to five years depending on what you like.

Blanco is no age, reposado, two months to 11 months, añejo, 1 to 3 years, the extra añejo is 3 to 5 years.

I prefer tequila añejo, my favorite tequila.

Cassandra: Couple years, three years?

Xavier: Yes, yeah, more flavors.

Cassandra: Zero?

Xavier: Nine months, three years.

Cassandra: Three years, five days?

Xavier: Five days.

Cassandra: All right, so let's start the first one.

Xavier: And we're gonna try, first, Tequila Blanco, so we're gonna try Tequila Blanco, this one is no age at all, we just distill it and pass it to the bottle directly.

female: Distill it and straight to bottle?

Xavier: Yes.

Ray: Salud.

Xavier: Salud.

Cassandra: Salud.

Okay, oh, yeah, no, I can't do that one, whoo.

Ray: It's quite smooth for a Blanco.

Cassandra: I'm gonna sip mine.

Xavier: Well, so, Tequila Blanco is usually the strongest or the smoothest, because some people don't like the woody flavor, and some people don't like the alcohol flavor from tequila, but I say the Tequila Blanco is the best to party, for sure.

Cassandra: This is the one to party?

Xavier: Yes.

Cassandra: All right, the next one.

Xavier: So, chicos, next one we're gonna try, Tequila Reposado, this one is aged for nine months, okay?

Cassandra: Nine months.

Xavier: Like a baby.

We're gonna make the classic toast for this, we're gonna say, Ray: Salud.

Cassandra: Okay.

Oh, that wasn't bad, hey, that was good.

Xavier: Reposado is good, because you have a light vanilla flavor and woody, so it's really light.

Cassandra: All right, number three.

Xavier: Number three?

So we're gonna go with Tequila Añejo.

Cassandra: Okay.

Xavier: This one is aged for three years now.

Cassandra: Oh, I feel like it's gonna be really mellow.

Xavier: Really woody, yes, mellow.

This one is Tequila Añejo.

This one, when we drink it, we say we drink it with kisses, because it's a sipping tequila, you sip it slowly.

Cassandra: Okay.

That's more my speed.

"with kisses," baby kisses.

Cassandra: Oh, that's good, yeah, cinnamon, and last?

Xavier: Here.

Cassandra: The final?

Xavier: Coffee tequila, this coffee is made with Tequila Blanco, it's the base of everything we have, we add agave honey, cold brew coffee, vanilla, and cacao.

This a really light tequila to enjoy with friends.

Cassandra: Do you have it as a dessert, do you drink it like with dessert or just?

Xavier: Like a dessert, yes, like after dinner, for lunch, breakfast, everything.

Cassandra: So, I did see the honey, I saw that there's a lot of honey around, tell me why honey and tequila goes good together.

Xavier: So we have honey here because we're also beekeepers.

Cassandra: You are?

Xavier: But we are beekeepers in Jalisco, we have a big farms of agaves and honey over there.

Cassandra: That's cool.

So can I try honey with the tequila or separate?

Xavier: I'll say, for this tequila, the citrus one will work.

Cassandra: The citrus?

Okay, should I do it before or after?

Xavier: I'll say before, let me bring it.

Cassandra: Do I take one of these?

Xavier: Yes.

So, here you have the citrus honey, I think it's the best one to try it with coffee tequila.

Cassandra: Citrus honey, coffee tequila, beekeepers and tequila makers-- Xavier: Usually for the honey to clean your palate.

Ray: Shot or sipping?

Xavier: Sip it, yes.

Cassandra: Oh, that was fire.

What other honey do you have?

Ray: We got her hooked.

Xavier: Bring it closer.

Cassandra: That honey was the business, okay?

Xavier: So we have Mango, Agave, Tamarindo, and Cacao, which one you wanna try first?

Cassandra: Tamarindo.

Xavier: Tamarindo?

Cassandra: Which tequila goes best with the tamarindo honey?

Xavier: I would say Tequila Blanco goes best because you have the most flavor with the honey.

Cassandra: All right, so I'm gonna be brave, this is my last hoorah, right?

That means this is the last shot I'm taking because my chest is on fire.

Yeah, that's good.

Thank you so, so much, this is all phenomenal.

Xavier: Thank you.

Cassandra: Which bottle should I buy to take home?

Xavier: Well, which one you prefer?

The best tequila's the one you like.

Cassandra: I really like the reposado.

Xavier: Reposado?

Cassandra: It was really, really good, so, thank you.

♪♪♪ Cassandra: I've indulged in honey, but now it's time to get down to business.

Cassandra: How do we make a margarita?

Xavier: So, to make a margarita, we need only four ingredients, we need agave honey, over here, Tequila Blanco, orange liqueur, Cointreau, and lime, that's all you need to make a margarita.

First through your -- over here, we're gonna put around six ice on your glass, a start.

Cassandra: Six ice cubes?

Xavier: Yes.

Cassandra: That's enough, okay.

Xavier: All right, you want more.

Next we're gonna add Tequila Blanco in the mix.

Cassandra: Okay.

Xavier: The agave honey, your lime, the front, and cointreau.

Cassandra: What is it?

Xavier: Cointreau, orange liqueur.

Now we're gonna mix it until you don't feel the ice.

Cassandra: Until I don't feel the ice?

Xavier: Yes.

Okay, now, let's see how it went, shake the base a little to open it.

Cassandra: This is cold.

Xavier: And you know, don't open completely, you put like this.

Cassandra: Oh, okay, so like a little bit, right?

Xavier: Controlling, put everything together.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Xavier: Ready?

Let's try it.

Cassandra: Let's try it, thank you.

Cheers.

I am now certified to make margaritas.

Xavier: I think it's really good.

Cassandra: Yes.

I came, I sipped, and now I'm certified.

After catching up with the rest of the crew, Ray has a surprise.

Ray: [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [cheering and applauding] ♪♪♪ Cassandra: We keep the party going at Bar Andaluz, where it's rumored the margarita was invented.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Cassandra: Before we end our day, we visit one of Baja's famous eateries.

Cassandra: Sabina Bandera is a celebrated culinary artist in Baja California, her innovative seafood creations, blend traditional recipes with local ingredients, offering unique flavors that reflect the region's coastal heritage.

Sabina is a legend, and was given the nickname "The Queen of Ceviche" by another legend, Anthony Bourdain.

Eating her famous dishes while hearing from the queen herself is a bucket-list moment.

Cassandra: What's good, everything?

Ray: Champions.

Ray: These have won world prizes and then also international.

Cassandra: World tacos, male: I didn't know there was a thing but yeah-- Cassandra: World tacos.

Well congratulations.

♪♪♪ Sabina: Thank you for coming.

Coming?

Ray: That's perfect, that's wonderful.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Cassandra: Thank you for the lovely invitation.

Ray: Thank you.

Cassandra: And creating a magical experience while I'm here.

Ray: Well, you're welcome, that's what we do.

Cassandra: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Cassandra: This adventure was filled with great food, music, and comfort.

Thank you for tuning in.

[singing in Spanish] Sabina: This is "Fresh Glass."

[singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Cassandra: On the next episode of "Fresh Glass," I travel to Portland, Oregon.

From the history, culture, and beauty of the city, I fall in love with two families.

female: "Why are we shying away from using our name?

Let's just be us."

Cassandra: In you knowing your parents's journey, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

female: Leaving your home country, leaving everything you had, leaving your family, I don't know if I could have handled it.

announcer: "Fresh Glass" is brought to you by Visit California.

University of California.

Cal State University San Marcos.

CCAE Theatricals, transforming lives through theater, creating pathways in the arts, inspiring the next generation of arts leaders.

Maya's Cookies.

You can visit their locations, or order online at mayascookies.com.

The County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce.

Computers 2 Kids.

Lifetime Smiles of Escondido, with additional contributions from "Fresh Glass" Innovators.

Thank you.

For a complete list of financial contributors, visit aptonline.org.