The prestigious culinary competition, Iron Chef Tucson celebrates every year first-class gastronomic experience in which participate local restaurants, regional producers, chefs, bartenders, mixologists and summons gastronomy fans. This contest takes a full weekend to present products and services in Arizona and the Sonora border region.
As the first Mexican agave spirit to participate in Iron Chef Tucson gastronomic experience, Sunora represents Sonora agaves distilled traditional beverage, Bacanora. The weekend of 22th and 23th, last July, Sunora and regional enterprises such as Casino Del Sol Hotel, Blue Moon Beer, Basha’s, Affinity Kitchens, Arizona Appliance and Home, and Arizona Restaurant Supply sponsored this incredible annual event.
Sunora Bacanora was represented by Rosa Evelia Echave Mendivil, member of the Women of Agave in Iron Chef Tucson and she greatly enjoyed the famous contest. Rossy is convinced this is an ideal platform to promote Sunora’s variety of award-winning products. Besides, this social and commercial space provides her company a tremendous opportunity to educate the attending public about Bacanora traditions. Sunora shared the production details, disseminates agaves culture and natural enviroment in Sonoran Sierra Mountains. Iron Chef’s attendees learned about the Bacanora heritage related to Denomination of Origin.
Women are very important to Sunora’s market and offers them its three products distinguished for their delicacy and excellent quality. White Bacanora (42% alcohol volume) is enjoyed as neat. Delicious for cocktails, Sunora also offers Piña Colada and Mocha creams, with Bacanora. Since its entering in the US market, several years ago, Sunora’s three products have been recognized with Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in many distilled beverage contests.
Bacanora Sunora won more than 20 medals and quality awards in North American market between 2019 and 2021. Currently, Sunora products are selling in main cities of ten U.S. states: California, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and New Jersey.
Iron Chef Tucson is a contemporary gastronomy exclusive event, only for fans over 21 years old. The attendees experienced tastings and cooking a variety of food and beverages, cocktail workshops, advice to consumers on new products on market and interactive classes from the best professionals from Tucson and the border region between Arizona and Mexico.
Casino Del Sol Hotel and Blue Moon Bar hosted hosted the culinary competition, entertaining the discerning diners. Two of the best Tucson chefs competed for the title “Iron Chef”. Chef Devon Sanner, owner of Zio Peppe challenged Iron Chef winner (2022) Kenneth Foy, owner of Dante’s Fire. Both of them measured their cooking skills against each other. Tough contest was hosted by Matt Russell, publisher of OnTheMenuLive.com and Ryan Clark, executive chef at Casino Del Sol.
Over 200 people visited the Sunora Bacanora stand to appreciate cultural topics and guided tastings during Iron Chef Tucson. During two days of the social event, Sunora Bacanora team offered three sessions to attendees. A brief and entertaining talk about history, traditional production process of spirits of Sonora region. Besides, Sunora offered generous tastings of their products.
Sunora presented a delicious and exclusive cocktail and over 350 people tasted it. “Mi Tierra Yaqui” cocktail prepared with Sunora Bacanora was 2018 winner at Las Vegas Mixology Contest. Additionally, Iron Chef Tucson diners and contest judges were pleasantly surprised with delicious culinary creations from peanut butter, secret ingredient of 2023 chef competition.
The achievement of Sunora Bacanora presented Mexican products at internationally renowned events, such Iron Chef Tucson, must be recognized by others. Their people made great efforts to brought excellent quality products to American consumers, whom seek to better understand culture and regional agave distilled beverages traditions such as Bacanora de Sonora.
