Salvation Lies Within: Bacon Margarita

As much happiness as $7.50 can buy

We never thought this day would come.

Granted, that's because we never imagined it in the first place.

But still! It's exciting! The Capitol Hill location of Tortilla Coast (400 1st St. SE) has debuted the Bacon, Jalapeño & Pineapple Frozen Margarita, which sells for $7.50.

"With bacon coming to the forefront of the dining scene, we wanted to see how we could push the envelope a little further," said Bil Anderson, general manager.

Including the obvious -- the strip of bacon literally sticking out of the glass -- the margarita actually contains three bacon components. Next is a bacon syrup made by Torani. "It's sort of a smoky, sweet thing so it's not just a hickory flavor hitting you," Anderson told us. The glass is also garnished with a custom-blended bacon salt.

So what's the best way to enjoy it? Eat the bacon at the end? A few bites here and there?

"It's like an Oreo cookie -- there are some who are center people and some who eat the whole thing at once," he said. "I've seen some people pull out the bacon and eat it first."

Making bacon a priority: We approve.

Don't fear the jalapeños, either. Although the first batch came out on the spicy side, they now steep the jalapeños and pull out the seeds. "There still is a little bit [of spiciness] to it, but it's certainly tempered by the sweetness of the margarita itself and the smoky components," Anderson said.

The tricky thing has actually turned out to be finding the bacon-flavored syrup. (Hint: World Market!)

The new margarita will at least be available through the spring. With the new Logan Circle location of Tortilla Coast focusing on the Mexican side, Capitol Hill is now free to devote more attention to the "Tex" side of things. Expect to see the new drink paired with upcoming barbecue menu items.

"I think people order it for the fun factor, but they're surprised by how good it actually is," Anderson said. "It seems so odd but they actually end up liking it."

Tortilla Coast has played around with its menu in the past. "Two years ago at beginning of baseball season, we did the Strasburger," Anderson said, noting that the pitcher-tastic dish will relaunch with Strasburg's return.


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