Guadalajara Mexico
The Tequila Trail entertains as much as it educates, and that’s only a taste of the region’s vibrant flavor.
It’s an ancient tradition in Jalisco State, Mexico. The jimador in his wide hat and boots, the elegant arc of attack, the final swift plunging of the blade. Bullfight? Not exactly. It’s how you harvest blue agave plants for their cores, giant pineapple-like blobs that are chopped, roasted, and distilled here into the world’s finest tequila.
Watching the tough but smooth harvesters is just part of the spectacle for those on Mexico’s Tequila Trail, a series of estates and distilleries within about an hour’s drive from Guadalajara that produce Jose Cuervo, Herradura, Sauza, and other famous brands that end up in your margarita glass. You can visit any number of them on your own, as I did, or you can take one of the package tours based in Guadalajara and offered by several companies (tequilasource.com and tequilatours.com can help when planning). Some factories may charge for tours, but many are free, and at all my stops, the tastings were, too.
But you don’t have to drink a single shot of the stuff to have fun. The region around Amatitan and Tequila is far less formal than a Bordeaux or even a Napa route du vin and features scenic plateaus and mountains as well as the National Museum of Tequila (52-374-742-0012, Calle Ramon Corona 34, Tequila). On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, you can ride the Tequila Express (tequilaexpress.com.mx, website is in Spanish), a train that runs the 37 miles from Guadalajara to Amatitan and includes onboard mariachi music, snacks, and a tour of one of the estates.
Guadalajara, about seven hours northwest of Mexico City, is the nation’s second-largest city and a vibrant cultural center. One of the architectural highlights in the historic downtown is the Instituto Cultural Cabanas (52-333-668-1647, Calle Cabanas 8, Centro Historico), where you can stare up at famous murals by Jose Clemente Orozco. Tricky-to-pronounce Tlaquepaque (try TLAH-kay-PAH-kay) is a nearby town with shops and stands full of ceramics, paintings, and clothing.
For those who hit the Trail, each distillery shows off its own quirky air. At one stop, you can taste freshly roasted chunks of blue agave (it tastes a bit like rhubarb); at another, you get a crack at sticking labels on bottles or dipping the tops into wax for sealing. Patron Tequila has constructed a Hearst-like castle and gardens that are so wildly over the top that you’d swear a Bernie Madoff slept here. Tequila Cazadores struts out a Rockette-like troupe of cocktail cheerleaders, while Herradura exudes a posh Old World air. (To some, Patron and Tequila Cazadores are not considered part of the Trail.)
Jalisco is said to be the birthplace of horn-blasting mariachi music, and tourists at a couple of the estates are serenaded by strolling bands and skirt-whirling dancers. At one distillery, I was surprised to hear Mozart piped in over the speakers. “Oh, yes,” the guide told me as a convoy of forklifts rumbled past. “This is to create a soothing environment for the yeast.” -- Peter Mandel
