Hello! My name is Steven Miranda, creator of Tacos and Cold Ones™.

The idea for T.A.C.O.’s™ was cooked-up about three years ago while eating my grandma’s homemade tacos and drinking a cold beer. My love of tacos and my appreciation for craft beer inspired me to create a collaborative platform to pair the best of both worlds.

In early 2016, I registered tacosandcoldones.com, and with the creative direction of my wife, Karla, we began developing the brand and concept for T.A.C.O.’s.

I quickly realized that I knew little about beer and almost nothing about pairing beer with food. Rather than throw together a collage of tacos and beer pictures with witty captions, I decided that I wanted to educate myself so I could provide intentional and credible content. 

In the Fall of 2017, I started studying to become a Certified Cicerone®, the beer industry’s standard for expertise and credibility in beer service and education.  After a year and half of diligent study and preparation, I passed the arduous, 4-hour, 3-part exam, which consists of written, tasting, and demonstration portions. Studying for and passing the Certified Cicerone exam was very challenging but ultimately a very rewarding experience.

While reading Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros by Julia Herz and Gwen Conley, I stumbled upon UC San Diego’s Professional Certificate in Brewing. While researching the program, I discovered that it included relevant classes such as Flavor Attributes of Beer and Food, Sensory Evaluation and Beer Styles, Food Pairings and Beer Dinners, Recipe Formulation, and much more.  It wasn’t long before I submitted my application, and in the Spring of 2018, I began my journey through the two-year program and am loving each and every course.

In 2019, after three years of studying, brand development, and content creation, we launched Tacos and Cold Ones™: The Art of Gourmet Tacos and Craft Beer Pairing.

Thank you for joining us on this savory adventure; we’re looking forward to sharing the endless possibilities of gourmet tacos and craft beer pairings.

Cheers!

Steven Miranda

Certified Cicerone®