This small Mexican town in Jalisco state is the birthplace of the famous spirit. Blue agave fields surround the colonial center, where distilleries run daily tours.
Tequila, a town in Jalisco, Mexico, lies 60 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara, encircled by blue agave fields that stretch across volcanic hills. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Pueblo Mágico, this is where tequila production began. Walk on cobblestone streets past buildings from the colonial era like the Sanctuary of Saint Toribio Romo González. Visit the National Museum of Tequila to see copper stills from the 1800s or ride the weekend train that passes through agave plantations. Every November, crowds gather for live mariachi performances, tequila tastings at Plaza Principal, and the selection of a festival queen wearing traditional charro clothing.
Agave Fields and UNESCO Recognition
The volcanic soil around Tequila grows over 300 million blue agave plants, their spiked leaves forming geometric patterns across the landscape. UNESCO designated this area a World Heritage Site in 2006 for preserving 400 years of tequila-making traditions. You can tour distilleries that still use brick ovens for cooking agave and stone mills for crushing it. Guides demonstrate how farmers harvest mature plants using a coa blade, removing the core piñas that weigh up to 200 pounds. Nearby, the Guachimontones pyramids reveal circular stone structures built by pre-Hispanic cultures linked to early agave use.
How Tequila Is Made
Workers harvest blue agave plants after they mature for 5-7 years, then split the piñas for slow cooking in ovens. Once softened, the agave fibers get crushed to extract sweet juice, either through mechanical shredders or traditional tahona wheels pulled by mules. Fermentation takes 3-10 days in open vats, where wild yeast converts sugars into alcohol. Mexican law requires tequila to contain at least 51% blue agave, with higher-quality bottles using 100% agave. Clear Blanco tequila goes straight to bottles after distillation, while Reposado ages 2-12 months in oak barrels, gaining golden hues and vanilla notes.
National Museum of Tequila Exhibits
Housed in a restored 19th-century building near Plaza Principal, this museum displays clay vessels used for pre-colonial fermented drinks called pulque. You'll see century-old photographs of haciendas, tax stamps from Prohibition-era smuggling, and labels from early tequila brands like José Cuervo. One room focuses on the 20th-century rise of tequila cocktails like the margarita, with vintage shakers and recipe books. Interactive screens explain how altitude and soil minerals affect agave flavors. Temporary exhibits rotate monthly, recently highlighting glassware designs from local artisans.
Train Tours and Distillery Visits
The Tequila Express departs Guadalajara every Saturday, taking 2.5 hours to reach Hacienda San José del Refugio. During the ride, staff serve samples of reposado tequila alongside snacks like queso panela while musicians play folk songs. At La Fortaleza distillery, you can watch workers load agave into stone pits for roasting over mesquite wood. Casa Herradura offers horseback rides through its fields followed by tastings of their anejo in a cellar lit by candlelight. Smaller operations like Tequila Ocho let you taste single-estate bottlings to compare flavors from different growing zones.
November Tequila Festival Events
From late November to mid-December, the festival fills streets with food stalls selling birria stew and churros dipped in agave syrup. Main stage performances include folkloric dancers in bright dresses and bands playing son jalisciense music. At the Tequila Queen competition, participants recite poems about local history and demonstrate knowledge of distillation methods. Free workshops teach visitors how to mix classic cocktails like the Paloma using fresh grapefruit juice. On weekends, fireworks light up the sky above the Parroquia Santiago Apostol church.
Driving the Tequila Route
The 40-kilometer Ruta del Tequila connects Tequila with Amatitán, where La CofradÃa distillery ages tequila in French oak barrels inside limestone caves. In Magdalena, guides lead tours through obsidian mines where pre-Aztec tools were excavated. Stop at Balneario La Toma to swim in thermal pools heated by underground springs. Rent a bike in El Arenal to pedal past agave fields to Cascahuin distillery, which uses wild yeast fermentation for earthy, peppery tequilas. Maps for self-guided drives are available at Tequila’s tourist office on Calle José Cuervo.
Food and Drink Customs
Family-run restaurants serve Jalisco specialties like pozole rojo with pork and hominy or tortas ahogadas sandwiches drenched in chili sauce. Bartenders prepare bandera drinks by lining up shot glasses of tequila, lime juice, and tomato-based sangrita. For dessert, try jericalla custard sweetened with agave nectar instead of sugar. At the municipal market, vendors sell hand-blown glass bottles and leather holsters for carrying tequila flasks. Locals typically sip aged tequilas neat in narrow copita glasses to appreciate their aroma.
Limited-Edition Tequila Releases
Some distilleries bottle special editions only sold onsite. La Alteña in Arandas distills TapatÃo 110-proof Blanco, a fiery spirit meant for sipping slowly. El Arenal’s Cascahuin makes a rare extra-añejo aged 5 years in Hungarian oak casks, giving it toasted almond flavors. At Hacienda La CofradÃa, you can bottle your own tequila blend and design a custom label. Look for seasonal releases like winter-spiced tequilas infused with cinnamon or orange peel at smaller producers.
Nearby Attractions
The Sanctuary of Saint Toribio Romo González draws pilgrims to its spring-fed baptismal pool and modernist concrete chapel. Guachimontones archaeological site, 40 minutes away, has circular pyramids used for celestial observations between 300 BCE and 900 CE. Drive an hour to Guadalajara to see José Clemente Orozco’s murals at Hospicio Cabañas or shop for crafts at Mercado Libertad. Nature trails wind through Barranca de Oblatos canyon, where you might spot armadillos or green parakeets nesting in cliffs.
