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DO IT Your travel advisor works with
Virtuoso’s on-site connection
in Mexico to craft tailor-made
trips to Tequila, with plenty of
time for a distillery visit – or
three. Departures: Any day
through December 31, 2015;
four-day tours from $2,382.
JALISCO, MEXICO
TEQUILA
According to Mexican law, tequila isn’t tequila unless it’s produced in the state of Jalisco or limited
areas nearby. Fields blanketed in spiny blue agave – from which the liquor is sourced – lead into the
town of Tequila, where distilleries showcase the jimadors’ harvest. “Jalisco is one of Mexico’s most
culture-rich states,” says Mexico City-based Virtuoso travel advisor Ana Rosete. “Distilleries are
housed in beautiful, well-preserved colonial buildings. It’s definitely worth a visit.” – Amy Cassell
TEQUILA BEYOND
TEQUILAVirtuoso travel advisors share their favorite bars
throughout Mexico.
La Clandestina This hip mezcalería specializes
in mezcal, a smokier, agave-
sourced liquor, “but you can
have good tequila here too,”
says Rosete. (Avenida Álvaro
Obregón 298, Mexico City)
Tequila & Ceviche Bar “After a blind tasting, guests at
this bar learn which tequila best
fits their personality and taste
buds,” says John Oberacker, a
Virtuoso advisor based in Long
Beach, California. (Las Ventanas
al Paraíso, Los Cabos)
La FuenteThe quaint cantina with a not-
so-quaint selection of tequila
is in the heart of Guadalajara’s
city center. “It’s been open since
1921,” says Guadalajara-based
advisor Mauricio Colin Zuñiga,
“and is a very traditional spot.”
(Pino Suárez 78, Guadalajara)
TASTING NOTES“Sipping tequila is about enjoying its history,” says Angel Estrada, a tequilier at
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende’s 1826 Tequila Bar. “Put the tip of your tongue into
the tequila to prepare your palate. Sip, savor for three seconds, then swallow and open
your mouth to smell its flavors.” Here, Estrada’s take on the four main types of tequila.
Blanco“The freshest,
vanilla-like flavors
– and the highest
alcohol content
– come from
this clear tequila,
which is typically
bottled right after
distillation.”
Reposado“This tequila
rests inside an
oak barrel for
3 to 11 months.
The end result:
a gold color
along with a
slight woodsy
taste.”
Añejo“Aged for one
to three years,
this dark-brown
tequila has more
bitterness than
its younger
cousins and a
rich, caramel
flavor.”
Extra Añejo“Tequila sits in
barrels once used
for bourbon and
brandy, so the
more it ages (up
to five years for
extra añejo), the
more complex its
flavor profile.”
AGEDFRESH
THAT’S THE SPIRITTradition reigns supreme in central Mexico.
Agave fields forever and (right) Las Ventanas al Paraíso’s Tequila & Ceviche Bar.