Behind the Scenes - Making Margaritas with Cha Cha's

"Margaritas for breakfast. No shame." Our weekend was starting off on the right foot as we prepared to head to Cha Cha's Latin Kitchen in downtown Brea. It was late enough that our weekend "sleeping in" (which consists of getting up at, say, 8 instead of 6 in the morning?) had been accomplished but early enough that neither of us had had a full breakfast. Nevertheless, it was time to start making some margaritas. It was a unique opportunity that we have to thank Jennifer of Ajenda PR for but certainly a series that we've enjoyed doing whenever we get the chance. The concept is to get behind the scenes and back in the kitchen (or in this case, bar) to make food and/or drinks with the creators themselves. I've always found that their real passion shows through as they explain their love and art to someone else while making it. That part is key - there needs to be action put behind those words, and making margaritas at Cha Cha's was the way to go on this one!


Now this restaurant is no stranger to cocktails and coming in, I expected to make just a few alongside them making several as well. Taking a look at the menu, it was obvious that margaritas were their specialty (well, aside from knowing that they were a Latin kitchen...) and that there was quite a handful. I met with Peter Serantoni, one of the proprietors and their libations consultant, and John Fairbanks, their bartender, to look over what we would be working on that morning. The decision: make them all. In addition to their signature cocktails, their drink menu boasted an impressive 45+ tequilas on stock, chosen specifically for their quality over name recognition though of course, there were some more popular ones.


So in talking about how well they know their stuff there at Cha Cha's, you have to wonder what the accolades were. They have the right to say that their Cha Cha's Classic Margarita was a winner of a "Critics' Choice Award" for Best Margarita in Orange County, just one of many awards to note at this establishment. What earns them this praise? Perhaps it's the balance in each drink that weighs out sweet, sour, bitter, tart, and everything else to make it superb. Perhaps it's because each drink is precise and hand-crafted. Perhaps it's because they have freshly squeezed juices, housemade infusions and syrups, and seasonal fresh fruits daily, all of which are incorporated into the drinks. I loved seeing how each container was marked with easy-to-grab masking tape and a Sharpie to let the handler know just how fresh something was. Peter pointed out every little creation with pride, and it was obvious that he truly enjoyed all that they were creating there.

As for drinks that I didn't get a chance to create, they were the Mexican Grande Lemonade (10.95 - Tequila Blanco, fresh lemonade, touch of red chili, fresh lime, mini bottle of Corona), a bombastic display of a cocktail that has heads turning as it comes out; the Platinum Mojito (8.95 - Myers' Platinum Rum, fresh lime, mint, and sugar cane served frozen), one of my favorite drinks of the menu for its well-balanced slushy format and consistency in product; and the Sangria Tradicional (6.95/26.00 - Cha Cha's award winning Sangria, red wine, orange liqueur infused with fresh tropical citrus fruits), made with the craved-for sangria mix that they often must sell to customers who want full jars.


So the first step in making Cha Cha's signature margaritas is to throw a bar towel over your shoulder. Then you need to actually know your recipes. Peter was an excellent instructor but definitely a hands-off type, throwing me into making my first drink without demonstrating first. Luckily for me, I've made cocktails in my own free time before...just not with the type of ingredients we had access to now. We brought out the jigger and went to work measuring, pouring, shaking, and finishing. If there is one thing you learn about Peter and John, it's that they are sticklers for precision. It makes all the difference for drinks since they use such minuscule amounts of liquid to create a full-size cocktail. As John pointed out, even the smallest difference in measuring will create a vastly different drink, especially when Cha Cha's has been creating a name for itself as making balanced cocktails. I heeded their warnings and stared intently at each pour.


As with food, these cocktails proved that simpler was better. Simple ingredients of natural juices with no sugar added, infusions made from overnight soaking of just a few components, and 100% agave tequilas instead of mixed spirits helped make these drinks a bit more special. Though I had made cocktails before, it had been quite some time so there were some rusty pieces to brush up on. After multiple attempts, I finally got the cocktail shaker-glass trick right of removing the glass afterward. The measuring was straightforward enough, and the shaking a stress reliever. Their keenness to fresh fruit lent its impact in both the contents and the presentation of every drink. I won't disclose recipes here, of course, but you can easily sneak a look at what made up every cocktail in the descriptions below. I'd have to say that the little touches made a big difference on flavor.


Naturally we could not hog all of the fun and invited Carolyn from Ajenda PR behind the bar as well to mix a drink. She worked it like a pro! We took advantage of the time away from the cocktail making to ask about the choices for cocktails. It seems like there are plenty of regulars who would notice right away if any of the cocktails left the menu but there are obviously some seasonal choices that have to be made. Cha Cha's takes full advantage of using fresh fruits that they work with every day so there are some rotating cocktails. One of the ones we made used a lot of watermelon which is starting to phase out from growers as the summer season nears its end. In for the replacement spot will be their fall special using much cranberry and cinnamon - alcoholic Thanksgiving anyone? The infusions were varied and included some that you won't find in your typical bar such as habanero syrup with whole habaneros still inside the jar, hibiscus juice straight from the flowers, whole cinnamon syrup, and more. Fruit purees sat in their squeeze bottles under the counter, nestled in a metal basket and waiting to be used. These two were marked with the masking tape and Sharpie on their dates. We were impressed with the offerings and the dedication that goes into making all of these ingredients fresh every day.


Let's start talking about the drinks themselves now. That's the fun part right? As aforementioned, we made just about the full menu of drinks they had to offer aside from the three noted above. Duc decided to deconstruct each glass by styling the finished shots with their components; I've seen someone write somewhere that these are pictures of "ingredientenses," and I like the phrase. They were beautiful looking drinks alone and with their ingredients so take a gander at what we put together.

The first pictured is their Cha Cha's Margarita (9.95 - Siete Leguas 100% blue agave, St. Germaine, fresh lime, ruby red grapefruit juice, and Izze sparkling grapefruit), a tall glass that makes heads turn every time it is taken out on the dining space floor. The large grapefruit zest rose floating on top creates that allure but the drink backs itself up with its bubbly vibrancy. Next up is the Classic Margarita (7.95 - El Jimador 100% Blue Agave, Cointreau, fresh lime, agave nectar), the more iconic-looking drink on their menu with its rimmed glass and a slice of lime. Their housemade sweet and sour made the difference in this one, ensuring its fresh taste and ease of drinking. Then there was their riff on a martini, the Cha Cha Martini (9.50 - Pura Vida premium blanco tequila, Chartreuse, fresh cucumber, and lime) which used tequila rather than the traditional gin. The muddled cucumber, however, contributed a bit of those familiar notes in the sips. Their seasonal Fresh Watermelon (8.95 - El Jimador 100% pure tequila, fresh watermelon, hibiscus juice, fresh lime, agave nectar) was another that often gets diners staring. A large wedge of watermelon is tilted on its side on the rim of the tall, bright red glass of refreshing juice and tequila.


The next two pictured cocktails were two of my favorites to both drink and make because of their complexity and ingredients: the Mango-Habanero (9.95 - Pueblo Viejo 100% blue agave, mango, fresh lime juice, habanero chili infusion) and Pineapple Smash (8.75 - premium tequila, fresh pineapple, Tuaca vanilla liqueur, cinnamon). The Mango-Habanero was understandably one of their most popular drinks because it had sweetness from the mango but a hefty kick from the strong habanero infusion. This was fun to make because I was so curious about the purees and infusions we added; there was also a trick to presentation and mixing with the torn up basil we used. It was great to drink and look at! As for the Pineapple Smash, this is a drink that has customers at polar opposites; some love it, some hate it. Pineapple can do that sometimes but the inclusion of the strong cinnamon infusion and cinnamon on top can easily deter those who don't like that spice. We really liked it ourselves however because it brought the naturally sweet pineapple juice (they must have juiced it ripe) in a different direction than a typical "tropical" drink. After it was all said and done, we took a picture with the ladies from Ajenda PR behind our alcoholism; thank you for connecting us!


If you are looking for a place to find yourself a well-balanced margarita, you should make your way over to Cha Cha's Latin Kitchen in downtown Brea (found at 110 W Birch St #7, Brea, CA 92821) because they aren't messing around there. They take pride in their menu and after fumbling around making something based on their recipes, I could see that as long as you stick to their precisely researched measurements, you could still make a mean drink. My thanks to Peter and John for showing me the tricks of the trade and to Jennifer for connecting us!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.