Cocktails and Tequila Lover that Plays with Fire!
Lisa loves a well-made cocktail or her favorite tequila or agave spirit in her glass and loves to make cocktails for her friends. She loves to cook over live fire and you can often find her with a cocktail in one hand and making a paella or tomahawk steak with the other.
Her passion has grown for the wonderful world of spirits, cocktails and has a special affinity for tequila and agave spirits including mezcal. Although she has spent many years spreading the good news about wine, Lisa has been working on re-branding herself to include quality cocktails, vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, agave spirits including mezcal and tequila.
Lisa loves paella and cooking over live fire comes second nature to her. She has busy creating Texas-inspired Spanish Paellas for parties and clients often combining gorgeous fire-kissed Waygu Tomahawks to add to the finished paella or cooking on her Santa Maria grill to create all kinds of succulent meals.
Lisa is always seeking out knowledge about quality cocktails and spirits. She likes to think of herself as a student of spirits and enjoys in-depth learning opportunities.
Listed below are the certifications she holds currently with her ongoing studies:
*WSET II & III Advanced Certificate (Wine and Spirit Education Trust of London) *Court of Master Sommeliers Level 1 *Certified Texas Wine Specialist 2019 *Catador Certification – ongoing studies *Certified Specialist of Spirits – on going studies *CRT (Consejo Regulator Del Tequila Award “T” Certification 2023 Agave Masters Certified Tequila 101 & Intro to Patron 2023 *Academia Patron Certification 2023 *International Tequila Academy Level 1 2023 *Current studies to achieve the Tequila Sommelier Certification as a student of the International Tequila Academy Levels 2 & 3 TBD 2023
How did you begin?
As far back as I can remember, our kitchen was filled with aromas of Italian Red Sauce on Sunday mornings when I would help my father prepare traditional family dishes. Our cabinets were lined with large jars of olives, capers, rich olive oil, Italian cookies and cannolis from Central Grocery in New Orleans. This is when my love for food and wine was born but for many years it just simmered under the surface. I am part of the Delta Italian story. This is real documentation of Italian immigrants that migrated to the Mississippi Delta in search of a better life. It’s a bitter-sweet part of history that brought my family to Mississippi, then Louisiana. My family name is “CASCIO” and because of this part of our history, I am here today.
This crazy, wonderful mixture of Sicilian Heritage, Louisiana Cajun and Mississippi Delta taught me to live my life out loud. My love for food and wine has been an integral part of my life from the beginning but my first calling was to get a degree in Pharmacy. I spent many years helping people improve their health but when I was not working I was known for my flair for casual gourmet cooking and wine pairing parties.
After a move to the Texas Hill Country right outside of Austin, my passion for grapes and wine was ignited to a new level. Not only did I have great friends to cook fabulous food with, I had wineries and vineyards around our area. We spent many evenings sipping wine at sunset on those gorgeous vineyards, participated in wine education and events and even participated in a Grape Stomp that was photographed for a Texas magazine.
I knew then that I wanted to learn as much as I could about wine and help others have this same passion for combining delicious food with the right wines. In order to have a solid foundation of wine expertise I earned a WSET Intermediate Certification and now the Advanced Certification WSET.
Now that I have discovered my “inner spirit” I have decided that wine will be my “second act” career. I am on a mission to help others embark on an adventure with cocktails and to experience that same joy I do from great pairings.
How did you discover your passion for spirits and tequila?
For many people this adventure may begin as strolling through the sometimes overwhelming rows of bottles at a liquor store. Knowing about each spirit and learning their story ignited my passion for cocktails and how to make them the as good as you can get in a high end bar. Knowing where it comes from and how its made often makes it easier to decide which pairs best with your special event whether it’s a themed dinner with friends or enjoying a glass of your favorite spirit relaxing on the deck or under the trees at dusk listening to music.
Culinary
As long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for cooking and eating paella. My Sicilian and North Delta Louisiana Heritage mixed with a touch of Cajun has inspired me to create an authentic paella with a Southern twist to share with friends and family. There are many varieties of paella and I encourage you to try recipes from different regions of Spain and pair with the many beautiful Spanish wines and cocktails available to us today.
