There’s only one place in the entire world where you can get a true authentic tequila experience. Welcome to Jalisco, Mexico; not only the home to mariachi and tequila, two of Mexico’s most popular cultural icons, but also recently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Travel with TripAtlas.com as we take you on board the Tequila Express along an interactive journey through Mexican culture and history. A fun day-trip for travelers, the train ride from Guadalajara to Hacienda San Jose del Refugio is the best way to experience tequila, Mexico’s national drink.
On Board the Tequila Express: Guadalajara to Hacienda San Jose del Refugio
The Tequila Express leaves the train station in Guadalajara every Saturday and Sunday at 11a.m., though it is advised to arrive thirty minutes earlier to buy tickets and get settled. A short 1 hour and thirty minute journey takes you to the town of Amatitan while you learn about the history and legacy of tequila production in Mexico.
Amatitan: Home to Tequila
The town and region of Amatitan is one of the original homes of tequila. It was first made in the 1500’s when Spanish colonials began to distill the Blue Agave plant, a similar process to one that they learned from the Aztecs.
Upon arriving in the town of Amatitan, you’ll hop on a bus to the Hacienda San Jose del Refugio, the home of Tequila Herradura—one of the world’s oldest tequila makers, established in 1870. Today, there are more than seventy tequila distilleries that produce over 500 brands.
Tequila Making at Tequila Herradura Distillery
Tequila begins with the blue agave plant, more formally named “Agave Azul Tequilana Weber,” and it only grows in the desert region of Amatitan Valley in Jalisco. Every real tequila product must contain at least 51 percent of the blue agave for it to be considered authentic.
In its original form, the blue agave plant takes seven to ten years to mature. Once it is fully mature, the cones of the blue agave are cooked in high-pressure cookers and crushed to produce Mosto, a sweet honey extract. Mosto is fermented for up to seven days, at which point it is heated up until it evaporates, condenses, and forms into a liquid: raw tequila. A second and third distilling process finish off the product before it is bottled or barreled for aging.
