As they say, when in Rome… Well, since we were in Mexico, we figured we had to have tequila. Where better to do that than the town where it all began. Tequila tasing in the town of Tequila is a great spot for this truly Mexican experience.
Tequila Tasting
There are many large, industrial tequila distilleries in the region, but we wanted to visit some smaller, family run ones. We found a tour in Guadalajara that would take us to two small tequila distilleries, a shop, a pub as well as the town of Tequila.
The family run businesses were housed in beautiful old haciendas. They have old wooden balconies and were decorated with antique furnishings. Both had been in the industry for generations and were proud to carry on the family tradition.
At our first tasting, tequila connoisseurs taught us the proper technique. It involves swirling the tequila, inhaling as you sip and exhaling as you swallow. Exhaling decreases the burning feel in your throat and releases a lot of the alcohol. Surprisingly to us, there was no licking salt off your hand or sucking on a lime. Also different is that the tequila was sipped, not shot.
Both the distilleries and the shop were very generous with their pourings. When we saw the sizes of the glasses, we were worried we wouldn’t make it to the next tasting because we’d fall asleep in the van. This new technique though, allowed us to have several glasses of tequila that afternoon without feeling inebriated.
After a few samples, is was time to learn how tequila is made. Blue Agave is a succulent that grows best at elevations around 1,500 m (5,000 ft). It is used to make mezcal and tequila. It’s not surprising then that the fields around the town of Tequila are carpeted in the blue plant. When they are 5 years old the agave sprout a tall flowering stalk. This stalk takes the sweetness out of the plant though, so tequila producers cut it off. New crops can be planted by using the flowers’ seeds but more commonly farmers use shoots cut off from older plants.
The plants are not harvested until they are 7 or 8 years old. When ready, the inner core, called the pineapple, is harvested. Historically, pineapples were steamed over a fire for a week. Some artisan distilleries still do this, but most today use steamers which take only 1-3 days.
After steaming, the pineapples are the consistency of a mushy pulp which is squeezed to extract a very sweet juice. Today there is a machine to do this, but in the old days they used a stone grinder pulled by a mule. As they worked, the mules would often poop in the pineapple mush. The stool was left in the pulp because it added bacteria and flavour to the tequila. Don’t worry, that technique is no longer used.
The extracted juice is fermented for 36 days to produce mezcal or pulque. This is what the Mexicans drank for generations before the Spanish arrived. The Spanish apparently didn’t like mezcal so experimented with different methods to improve the drink. They found that distilling it was the best option.
Today, after two distillations, some tequila is bottled right away, the rest is kept in casks for months or years. The distilled drink was originally called it Mezcal Vino (Mezcal Wine) and was marketed as having medicinal benefits. That must have been a good way to increase consumption.
At our tastings we tried Blanco, which is not aged, and progressed to older tequilas. We usually preferred a middle-aged samples because they were smoother. They also gave us samples of cream and coffee flavoured tequila and even beer made with tequila. The sweet drinks are very tasty and would easily compete with the well-known liqueurs.
Along the tequila trail there are a few bars that are very popular. At one the favoured drink is called Cantarito. It’s made with tequila, orange and lime juices and Squirt (like Fresca) and is drank in a large clay pot. Other people in our group loved it, but we were glad we shared one pot between us.
Neither of us are big tequila drinkers, but sampling them as we did gave us a better understand of the popular drink.
Tequila
The drink got its name from the town of Tequila. The distilled drink was originally called Mezcal Vino (Mezcal Wine) until the early 1900s when the name changed to tequila.
The town of Tequila is one of many Pueblo Magicos in Mexico. It is much cuter than many of the Pueblo Magicos we’ve seen, but it does seem to exist for the sole purpose of tourism. Colourful streets surround the main square and every single block has at least three stores selling tequila. In the main plaza instead of food stalls, there are tequila stalls.
Taking the most prominent position in the square is the 18th century Our Lady of the Purísima Concepción Church. The old stone building carries on a tradition that began during the 20th century Cristero War. The war was between the government and the church. In this custom, at 9 in the evening, everyday except Sunday, church bells are rung three times. Upon hearing the bells, locals would stand, face toward the church and tilt their head to receive the priest’s blessing. This tradition continues in Tequila today, but unfortunately we weren’t there the evening to see it.
Across from the church is the 17th century Capilla del Antiguo Hospital de Indios.
Mariachis are said to have their origins in this region of central Mexico. There were many mariachi bands playing in the bars and on street corners in Tequila. They were likely there because Tequila is filled with tourists, rather than to commemorate these roots.
Getting to Tequila
If you have your own car you could easily drive to Tequila from Guadalajara. When in town you can join a tour of distilleries. It would be a nice place to spend the night too as there are many restaurants and a few small hotels. An easier option is to take a tour from Guadalajara. We took one from our hotel and were very pleased with the service. Some prefer to take the Jose Cuervo Express Train. It’s a full day tour from Guadalajara to Tequila.
Guadalajara
The main city to access Tequila is Guadalajara, 60 km away. The city was named after the Spanish hometown of conqueror Nuño de Guzmán. It was likely a very grand city at one time, but today it is a little rough. We strolled through its historic plazas admiring the grand old buildings, trying to imagine how this city may have once appeared.
The two side-by-side squares of Plaza de Armas and Plaza de Guadalajara show off the cathedral, government palaces and other elegant buildings. We were there in the late afternoon so the sun made many of the buildings glow.
A few blocks away are Los Dos Templos (The Two Churches). As the name suggests there are two colonial churches in one small square.
In addition to the squares there are other heritage buildings scattered throughout the city centre. You can safely walk in this area, but a few blocks away, the streets look quite a bit more rundown and there are a few questionable characters lurking about so take care.
We travelled to Guadalajara because we wanted to visit Tequila. It isn’t a bad city, but there’s really not enough places of interest to be a destination on its own.
Warning about Santander Bank ATMs
One of the only times we’ve ever had a problem with international ATM machines occurred in Guadalajara. We attempted to withdraw money from a Santander Bank ATM. After putting in our PIN and following the prompts, the ATM did not dispense money. Checking our on-line bank account we noticed that Santander actually did withdraw money from our account, but didn’t give it to us. After months of investigation by our Canadian bank, this money was returned. We have since discovered that it is a common occurrence with Santander ATMs in Mexico. Our advice is to avoid Santander Bank when travelling.
Getting to Guadalajara
As the capital of the state of Jalisco, Guadalajara is easy to reach. It has a large airport and a well maintained toll highway that travels between it and Mexico City. There are many buses that travel between the Guadalajara and other major cities such as Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende as well as to the beaches of Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta.
Where to stay and eat in Guadalajara
The streets around Los Dos Churches and Plaza de Armas seemed to be relatively safe during the day and evening. There are a wide range of hotels in this area but we could only find a few restaurants. If you are able, it may be nicer to stay in Tequila than Guadalajara.
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To read more of our adventures in Mexico, click here.
Coming Next – The Beaches of Sayulita & Puerto Vallarta
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