Traveling Down to Tequila Town

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September 3rd 2014

Published: February 19th 2016

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Stephanie and Andras

Blue Agave

In the fields surrounding Tequila

"You can have a much as you want, or as much as you can, whichever comes first." So said Micky, our guide, as we sidle up to the bar at what would be the first of many distilleries.

The last time I took a shot of tequila was in Chicago, after which I did a cheerleading routine on the sidewalk outside the W hotel lounge for a well deserved renumeration of $10. I only vaguely remember the instigator of this debacle drunkenly following us back to our room and being surprised at how the night had progressed widely off target as Andras firmly, and I'm hoping politely (though I doubt it mattered at this point) coaxed her back into the hallway and shut the door. Tequila: Drink Judiciously.

Still, one does not venture to the heart of blue agave country and not imbibe the various extractions of the plant, especially knowing their consumption is linked to concepts of gender and class identity, heritage, mexicanidad and several important social shifts within Mexico. The very existence of the Tequila Express, a joint effort by the Chamber of Commerce and the Herradura distillery to provide direct passenger service from Guadalajara with an

Church Bells of Zapopan

On the long drive back

endless supply of tequila on board, speaks volume about the integration of tequila and tourism. Alas, the tourist train - which I'm sure wouldn't have at all been full of drunken revelers knocking back as much free booze as they could - only ran on the weekends, days when I was resigned to the classroom. Not exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site was out of the question, so the first time we were there we booked a guided private tour. The second time (yes, I am so far behind on blogging I've actually returned to the same place a year later) we rented a car. Oh, there's another story right there, let me tell you! So consider this a two-fer - two years worth of Tequila touring in one.

"So which was named first - the beverage or the town?"

"The beverage is named for the town of Tequila, but the town get it's name from the volcano."

A prehistoric eruption of Volcán de Tequila covered the surrounding foothills with rich volcanic earth, providing the perfect terroir for the añjeos, resposados and blancos distilled from blue agave piñas. Like wine, the terroir of the agave plant is credited with

Jarritos at El Arenal

The most refreshing tequila cocktail - with grapefruit soda, fresh juice, lime, salt and tequila.

the distinct flavor profiles of the final product, and as such is protected by designation of origin. In Mexico this is the CRT, or Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council), which protects the production and exportation of Tequila. Driving along some of the roads you can still see evidence of black lava flows, some as recent as the 19th century, undulating over the hillsides as the road curves in and around.

Tequila is one of Mexico's Pueblo Mágicos - "Magical Towns." Like most Mexican villages, a large cathedral flanks one side of the central square, only here, numerous tequila distilleries and tasting rooms line the rest. First to Casa Sauza, now a museum of the Sauza family, credited with expanding Tequila distribution and turning the beverage into a globally known spirit. Most modern tequila is made with mechanized presses and aged in a combination of stainless steel and barrels, but Sauza still makes one version with the traditional tahona, a giant stone wheel, originally pulled by mules but now pulled by tractor. Can you taste the difference? We took a sip, then tried hard to contain our reaction so as not to seem rude. It was

Volcan de Tequila

Outside of Tequila

the strongest, hottest, fiery tequila I've tasted, but was that from being fermented with a bit of fiber, from the fermentation process, from distillation? Too many variables to make a real comparison, but "all we wanted" definitely won out this round. Yikes.

To see the entire process of the tequila making, Mickey takes us outside of town to Los Tres Tonos for a private tour of the production from start to finish and an all-we-want-to-try tequila tasting in the otherwise unoccupied bar-cum-tasting room in a large, brick courtyard, shaded by an enormously beautiful tree. The blue agave piñas are harvested at least seven years after planting, after which jimadores will cut off the large agave leaves with a special curved bladed tool, almost like a sharp hoe. The piñas are then cooked in large brick ovens, where the heat starts to convert the sugars. The exudate at this point is agave syrup. Further extraction takes place as the cooked pulp is finely ground and smashed. From here, the liquid goes into the fermentation tanks, before being distilled and then aged, either in barrels or stainless steel tanks.

When we walked into the

Mural at Los Tres Tonos

This mural details all the steps in the tequila production process, from the transplanting and harvest the pinas (just out of frame), the pinas between cooked, the tahona grinding up the pulp, copper distillation tanks, and finally being barrel aged and evaluated for quality standards (right edge). The Aztec goddess depicted in the center is Mayahuel, who is a central figure in the legend of agave

barrel rooms, we were shocked to find that they use former Kentucky bourbon barrels! It's not only more economical to acquire used barrels, it can also contribute to the brand. In fact, our favorite tequila from Casa D'Oro uses old French cognac barrels, which imparts the most delicious caramel flavor profile. After being so enamored with the Casa D'Oro's extra añjeo at their tasting room in the square, Mickey drives us out to their operation. Unlike the other places we've visited, this is not a "public facing" facility. It's evident that this building is designed for one reason and one reason only - produce and package tequila. There's a team of two working to bottle añjeo, but otherwise today is an off-day. A desk in a warehouse surrounded by barrels is the head of the operation; boxes of a new bottle design are stacked up against a wall. Being the curious sort, Andras looks at the new artisanal bottles. A blown glass agave plant rests at the base, with blue leaves adorning the bottle topper. Too bad they aren't for sale - but wait! They'll fill one up for us right now - we can just leave the money on

Harvested Pinas

We saw these being trucked into town. After the leaves are cut off, these are the remaining pinas which are cooked and processed. They're deceptively large!

the desk. It's the first artisanal bottle that the bottling team has filled, and it survives all the way back in our checked-luggage.

We didn't get much of a chance to see the surrounding landscape on the tour, which is the other thing we made sure to correct when we had our own car. Almost a year to the day, I've returned to teach the same program, and Andras and my mother join me for a few days. Driving ourselves out to the region should have been fairly straightforward - just keep driving on the highway until you literally drive into town. However, thanks to our least favorite Spanish phrase "Ruta Alterna" we once again found ourselves suddenly thrust from the safety of a known road and into the wilderness that is unmarked Mexican neighborhoods with no maps or street signs. Unlike detours in the US - where orange signs continuously mark the way back to your original path - here, the original road is suddenly and without warning closed, with ONE sign indicating that you're on a supposedly "alternate route." What you do with that is up to you. Maybe you'll drive in circles for a while. Maybe

Tequila - a Magical Town

Selling papas in the Tequila town square

your passengers will helpfully update you on where you are via road-signs - "We're on Calle Juarez!" - even if no one has any clue where that road is in relation to anything else. Maybe you'll get so frustrated that everyone in the vehicle starts insisting you have a drink the moment we arrive. Or maybe you'll just know where you're going and quickly adapt. I guess that's a possibility too. Fortunately, we knew of a great place to have a drink.

Just past the town of El Arenal there's a lookout and restaurant, signifying the entrance to the agave landscape. A year ago, Mickey described a popular beverage taken afterwork - grapefruit soda, tequila, salt, fresh juice and a splash of lime. There was a huge pile of "Squirt" - grapefruit soda - bottles tossed out back, a testament to the popularity of the beverage. We didn't get to try it the first time to the region, making it objective number one on our return trip. Once returned to Hwy 15, I thought the restaurant would be easy to spot. Yes, and no. Correctly thinking we'd go too far (after driving right past it) I turned onto a

Downtown Tequila

side road. It too - though not surprisingly at this point - ended abruptly, but not before we spotted the lookout in the distance. If you decide to go there, it's right past the rail-road trestle. The beverage in question is called jarrito and it's very incredibly refreshing. Since I was driving, I sadly couldn't really imbibe as freely as I'd have liked, but I wholeheartedly recommend you stop and try the "typical drink of the agave landscape." It packs a punch, and goes down far too easy.

With the freedom of the car, we were able to drive throughout the rest of the region, taking in the full scope of the agave fields. We detour down side-roads and dirt-roads, encountering more than a few horses on the road and vaqueros going about their work. From a distance, the hills start to take on a blueish hue. In town, artisans were selling crafts in the square, the most interesting pieces fashioned from local obsidian. Though many of the distilleries have their own restaurants, we dine in the town's Mercado de Comidas - "food court" - a building housing several open-kitchen eateries just off the main

Marketing and Bottling

The tequila in these bottles is identical! Los Tres Tonos has a pletora of different bottles that the distribute to various markets. The one one of the left sells better in Mexico and is labeled for domestic sale, the one on the right will sold in the US, and is labeled for export. They also have Mayan themed bottles that send to Cancun.

square. The food court has some unwritten rules that aren't immediately obvious. Though the center of the building is full of tables, it isn't open seating; instead, each kitchen "owns" different sections of the seating, differentiated by table-clothes or table-top accoutrements, and all serving regional Tapatio cuisine. I'll never get over how relatively inexpensive, and delicious, food is in Mexico. I could drink guava aguas frescas every day, top sopes and chilaquiles with fresh squeezed lime, dip into a hot bowl of birria (goat stew). We finished off lunch with a scoop of tequila flavored ice-cream.

Since we'd already been to Casa Sauza - and my mother wasn't very interested in the museum - we instead took a look around Jose Cuervo, right around the corner (free, clean, restrooms - wahoo!). Even from outside, the scent of fermentation and alcohol hung heavy in the air; there's no mistaking what's going on behind those walls. We still haven't taken the distillery tour there, but I guess we have to save something for the next trip! Until then - Salud!

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