Tequila Distillery Tour in Tequila, Mexico

🌵✨Tequila Distillery Tour on 2024/8/13✨🌵 I booked a fantastic Tequila distillery day tour through Viator. The private car cost only $230 USD, accommodating up to 5 people, which averages out to less than $50 USD per person! We were picked up promptly at 10 AM from our hotel, and the entire trip was both eye-opening and incredibly enjoyable 😆. First Stop: Tequila Don Valente Distillery 🍹 Our first stop was the Tequila Don Valente Distillery! They provided a professional tour of the distillery, giving us an in-depth look at the tequila production process and allowing us to taste different types of tequila. Fortunately, our guide was the third-generation owner of the distillery! He told us that the distillery was passed down from his grandfather to his father, and then to him. Here, I learned for the first time that the agave plant has male and female varieties! Female agave produces small agave plants, growing five to six each year. Also, the fruit at the root of the agave plant can be enormous, weighing up to 120 kilograms, resembling a giant pineapple. This explained the pineapple-like designs I had seen on souvenirs before; they were actually representations of the agave fruit! A unique feature of this distillery is that when you buy a tasting ticket, you get a glass shot cup that you can take home as a souvenir. The distillery prepared three different types of tequila for us: the pure Blanco, the Reposado aged 8 to 11 months in oak barrels, and the Añejo aged 2 to 3 years. The darker the color, the smoother the taste. The Añejo even tasted a bit like rum or whiskey. My favorite was the light yellow Reposado, which retained the unique flavor of tequila but was very smooth and moderately priced. In addition to tequila, we also tasted three different liqueurs and two types of agave syrup, which were very rich in flavor. Interestingly, one of our group members was already drunk by the end of this stop 😂. Second Stop: Tequila Tres Mujeres Distillery 🍾 A few minutes' drive brought us to the Tres Mujeres Distillery. There was an additional 70 pesos entrance fee, but the underground cellar was well worth it, and we even got to see tequila in the fermentation process. The guide spoke fluent English, and although the explanations were somewhat formulaic, the tour was still very interesting. The tequila at this distillery had a stronger flavor, especially when the distilling equipment was in operation, filling the air with the aroma of tequila. We tasted four different types of tequila here, which were more similar to the ones I usually drink. The outdoor space was perfect for photos, with vast agave fields and an underground cellar for visitors to explore. There were even giant swings and horses for photo ops. My boss had just bought a cowboy hat and leather vest the day before, and we borrowed them for some cowboy-themed photos, feeling like we were back in the Wild West. Third Stop: Tequila Selecto de Amatitán Distillery 🍸 This was our favorite distillery of the day. Having already learned a lot about tequila from the previous stops, the guide here went straight to the tasting. The staff were very enthusiastic and generous, pouring almost full glasses of tequila 😂. They also taught us some Spanish toasts, the only one I remember being: "¡Pa’ Arriba, Pa’ Abajo, Pa’l Centro, Pa’ Dentro!" meaning "Up, Down, Center, Inside"—cheers! We tasted four different tequilas and three liqueurs, and the relaxed atmosphere of the distillery made everyone enjoy the drinks and the pleasant ambiance. Plaza Principal Tequila Jalisco After drinking so much, we were starving. We asked the driver to take us to a restaurant, but it was clearly a tourist spot with not-so-cheap prices, around 400 TWD per person, and the food was not impressive. We then continued to Tequila town, strolling around the main square, browsing handicrafts and souvenirs. The atmosphere was very laid-back and relaxing. Since we had already bought a lot of stuff the previous day in Tlaquepaque, and there was some repetition, we didn't spend much time shopping. After about 40 minutes, we asked the driver to take us to the next spot. We thought he would take us to more distilleries, as the tour included five distilleries and a bar. He asked if we wanted to go to Cantaritos el Güero #1 to enjoy live music, snacks, and food. Although the atmosphere was welcoming, the music was so loud that we couldn't have a conversation. Not being great dancers, we just took some photos and asked the driver to take us away. To make sure we had a good time, the driver stopped at another place selling tequila on the way back, allowing us to continue tasting. We then concluded our day. This tequila distillery tour not only gave me a deeper understanding of tequila but also taught me a lot of interesting facts about the agave plant. Tequila is made from blue agave and must contain 100% agave juice to be considered real tequila. The production process includes roasting, fermenting, distilling, and aging. Depending on the aging time, tequila is classified into Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, each with its unique flavor. After this trip, if you happen to be in Guadalajara, Mexico, you must visit Tequila town to drink some tequila!