California Tortilla® Introduces Brand's First Saucemelier Andrew Enriquez

"With Andrew, we found someone who matched our passion for hot sauce," said Robert Phillips, President and Chairman of California Tortilla. "His role as our first saucemelier was an ambitious endeavor, but he stepped up to the plate and demonstrated his great taste and ability to take (and enjoy) the heat. We were delighted to collaborate with him and get his feedback on our sauces, so that we can offer our guests suggestions on how to enhance their experiences at our restaurants."

Enriquez ate tortillas from toddlerhood and learned to eat hot peppers with bravado at a young age during carne asada breaks on weekends with his dad. A veteran of the U.S. Army and many hot food eating challenges, Enriquez has slathered hot sauce over tacos, rice bowls, and everything from buffalo wings to ice creams, even crafting a few bottles himself. He is honored to share his passion for fresh flavors and fire with the CalTort faithful.

As part of his role as saucemelier, Andrew Enriquez recorded a series of sauce tips including "How To Beat the Heat," when sauces prove hotter than expected, as well as "Flavor Rules," and "Sauce Hacks" at California Tortilla.

During his consulting gig, Enriquez sampled a number of the sauces offered at California Tortilla including their signature Screamin' Green, as well as the Cheech Chipotle, Green Bandit, Mango Meltdown, Ring of Fire, Southwest Habanero, Tears of Sun, and more. California Tortilla features 75 distinctive hot sauces on their Wall of Flame. Enriquez identified flavor notes in each of the sauces he sampled and developed menu pairings for them. Featured menu items included the Bangkok Shrimp, California Screamin' Burrito, Carnitas Tacos, Nachos, and the Sunset Bowl.