Tequila and Tamales

I went to a tequila and tamale class last night. The tequila tasting was hosted by a woman from Sauza and we tasted 6 different tequilas from the Sauza line. My favorite one was the triple distilled Tres Generaciones Plata, but I think that was because it tasted the least like tequila to me. The flavors were clean and smooth. I have a greater appreciation for tequila after the class, but I think I'll stick to vodka...on second thought, maybe the occasional margarita.
The tamale portion was taught by Anthony Hubbard of Coastal Kitchen. The best tamales I've ever had are still the ones that were sold out of a stand at the Bothell Farmer's Market in the Country Village. Excellent pork or chicken tamales with salsa verde. I wasn't able to get to them this summer since I no longer work in Bothell, but maybe I'll figure out whether they go to other markets sometime. That said, I'm not sure that I can ever look at a tamale the same way again after learning how to make them. The idea was to beat lard until light and fluffy, then add masa. Drop a small portion of the dough into boiling water and if it floats, it contains enough lard for a good 'light' tamale. If it doesn't float, beat more lard and reincorporate the dough. No wonder they always taste so good.