Cactus Juice
Travels in Tequila Country

Detail of ceiling mural in Guadalajara

Article by: Josh Krist, January 2007

Although the effect on taste is arguable, distilleries in Los Altos like to play classical music while the agave juice ferments into alcohol.

Like a fine wine, the best tequila is made with the fruit of one plant - in this case the blue agave - and the plants are raised with more love and attention than many children.

The best place to start a tequila adventure is in Guadalajara, Mexico's second biggest city. It's within two hours of the state's two main tequila areas: the town of Tequila and the Los Altos region.

At the temple of Tequila's most famous brand, Jose Cuervo, the tour starts with a film about the history of the distillery. Visitors then take a wander through the factory to learn about each step of the process. There's tequila tasting at the end of the tour - the norm at distilleries.

Rows of agave at Los Altos region

Inside the historic building of the Sauza distillery is a wall mural that tells the story of tequila from ancient times to the present. Tequila isn't just a product in Mexico, but a mythic drink whose earliest version was invented by the Aztec gods.

One story goes that a god was so distraught over losing his lover that another god gave the agave plant special properties to help him forget his loss and comfort him in the night - this was before the era of twelve-step programs and interventions. The wine-like drink made from agave, called pulque, wasn't fashioned into harder alcohol until the Spanish came and introduced distillation. The early 1800s is when tequila as we know it began mass production.

A good tequila is sipped and savoured in Mexico, even in the poorest roadside bars. It's often accompanied by a spicy red concoction called sangrita ('little blood') which is like a thinner, sweeter version of Bloody Mary mix. Professional tasters say the thing to do is take a sip of the sangrita before you taste the tequila, to cleanse and prepare the palette.

Tequila isn't just a product in Mexico, but a mythic drink whose earliest version was invented by the Aztec gods.

The Los Altos region, anchored by the village of Arandas, is about 70 miles east of Guadalajara. Organised tours don't go to Los Altos and few distilleries allow visitors, but the dedicated seeker of tequila truth will have a totally unscripted experience. The most beautiful women in Mexico supposedly come from the area, as well.

Because of the higher elevation and mineral-rich soil, the tequila tastes different here. Los Altos tequila usually has more fruit and flower notes; the good stuff from Tequila has more herb and spice flavors. Although the effect on taste is arguable, distilleries in Los Altos like to play classical music while the agave juice ferments into alcohol.

Heart, also called pena, after leaves are taken off

'It responds best to Mozart. The classical music makes the yeast feel relaxed - it works better that way,' says Fernando Santibanez, master distiller at Tequila Cazadores and Corzo. The distillery does not have official tours but they have an open-door policy and say they're happy to show visitors around - great for aficionados who want to dig a little deeper.

Cirilo Oropeza is master distiller at Corazon distillery on the Destiladora San Nicolas Estate (tours by appointment). 'All of these,' says Oropeza, gesturing towards some bottles, 'are my children. Everything you see here was created in my head, and flowed out of my heart.'

What to drink?

There are four main types of tequila; the distinction is based on how long they've been aged in wooden barrels. Blanco and joven ('white' and 'golden') are both unaged, but joven has colouring added to it. Reposado ('rested') is aged for at least two months, and añejo ('year-old') is aged for one year or more.

After steaming, the agave heart is soft and sweet and can be eaten like a candy

The practiced eye might be able to tell the difference in tequilas on sight, but much depends on the whether the wooden casks used for aging were charred on the inside or not. For most people, tequila will either look clear, golden, or brown.

For mixed drinks, blanco or joven are the best bet - using añejo in a margarita is like polluting a fine Scotch with syrupy soda. Just be aware that most blancos are not 100 percent agave - to be called tequila, a drink needs to come from one of the designated regions in Mexico and be made of a mash that's at least 51 percent agave, with the rest of the alcohol coming from other sugars.

Snobs will tell you that 100 percent agave is the only way to go - and once you move past the blancos they're probably right. Reposado is versatile because it can be great in mixed drinks (with ingredients that don't overpower it), and a good reposado can stand alone for sipping. Añejo is most definitely for sipping - whisky lovers like this tequila best, but for some palettes it can come on too strong.

Getting Around

The popular weekend Tequila Express train runs from Guadalajara to the Hacienda San Jose del Refugio distillery and agave fields in Amatitán. The hour-and-a-half journey is beguiled by an open bar and mariachi music.

Driving Directions