Colorful folk-art lanterns from Mexico swayed in the breeze overhead as a hungry crowd of Hamptons revelers and foodies sipped delicate watermelon tequila cocktails and tangy palomas at The Surf Lodge in honor of Mexican Independence Day. The ultra-premium Tequila Casa Dragones, whose CEO and co-founder, Bertha González Nieves, resides in East Hampton, invited renowned Mexican chef Gabriela Cámara to delight the palates of East Enders with favorites from her universally hailed Mexico City eatery Contramar.
González Nieves told Purist, “It’s the kind of place you might be seated next to the mayor or just everyday folks”—with food that’s elegant but approachable, and insanely delicious. The dishes on display this evening lived up to that: The four-course feast began with scallop tostada and clam aguachile, paired with the crisp, clean Casa Dragones Joven sipping tequila, before guests delighted in Contramar’s signature pescado a la talla (and grilled zucchini slabs for the vegetarians in the room), artfully presented with a green, parsley salsa and a more fiery red adobo sauce coating both halves of the dish. For dessert: a nectarine tamal, capped off with an after-dinner sip of Casa Dragones Anejo, a tequila so complex and flavorful it ranks with the finest scotch. ¡Viva Mexico!