By: Tracey Manailescu
Pyramids, palm trees, haciendas, tequila tastings and more. You betcha! We are in! If you follow us regularly, you know that we were in Guadalajara last week to speak at Congreso Latino Americano de Bodas y Eventos Especiales. What you may not know, is that we stayed an extra two days to explore the city and surrounding areas to discover things that can be used to enhance a Destination Wedding for the couple and their guests.
There is nothing better then being able to see, smell, taste, and experience first-hand another country’s charm and ambiance. We did just that in Guadalajara and surrounding areas. In the first blog about Guadalajara, Danielle showed our experiences within Guadalajara, the round pyramids and the beautiful Hacienda that we were lucky enough to stay at. This blog will focus on Day #2 of our travels for the Tequila Tasting. As a planner, you should be encouraging your couples to experience the location of their Destination wedding to the fullest, along with their guests. Take a tour, go sight-seeing, book an excursion, go clubbing, go shopping in the local markets and get to know a little bit of the beauty and culture of the area.
Please enjoy all of the photos and enjoy a bit of history along the way about our experience at Mundo Cuervo…;)
Jose Cuervo is the oldest producer of Tequila and is the the oldest distillery plant at Jose Cuervo. The first tequila was made by Jose Maria Guadalupe de Cuervo in 1795 using the wondrous blue agave plant. These plants are grown all over the mountains and fields in Tequila. We saw thousands upon thousands of them on our drive. The pińas usually weigh anywhere from 80 to 200 pounds.
*Interesting fact: According to Mexican law, tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco, and in limited areas of four other Mexican states. Mexico has claimed the exclusive international right to the Blue Agave-based spirit.
The town of Tequila is located about 37 miles west of Guadalajara and you can arrive by train, car or bus.
The agave plant is cut after seven or eight years and steamed for 36 hrs. After this, the clumps of agave are allowed to cool for several hours before being loaded by hand into the mill. Mills rip up the pinas, grind them and press out the liquid. The liquid from the milled agave, called mosto or “must” is gathered in stainless steel vats where yeast is added and it ferments for about 18 hours, transforming the sugars into alcohol. It cannot be drank yet, as it takes another distilling process to make it clear and safe to drink. This results in a clear tequila that is about 55% alcohol. Since 40% is the maximum allowed, it has to be diluted with de-mineralized water to reduce the alcohol content.
When we entered the factory we had to sport hairnets, as you will see below to keep the area clean. Tours are in Spanish and English, so don’t worry! You want to book the tour with the tequila tasting and not just the factory tour. It lasts about an hour and a half.
These were items that were used as cups back in the day.
We were able to visit the company’s private cellar for an exclusive tasting session,
where they make and store Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de Familia. The tequila barrel is $2000 each. Anyone can book this, and we strongly encourage people to do so. It was incredible!
This VIP Tour costs approximately $30 USD.
Reservations: Phone: 52 (374) 742-2170 | Toll free (only in Mexico) 1-800-0068630
Email: tours@cuervo.com.mx | Send a message to tours@cuervo.com.mx indicating the date, time, number of persons type of tour, and you will receive a confirmation.
Seems like a very nice place
Yes, indeed 🙂