Premium Private Tequila Tour

Andy was an absolute wealth of knowledge and we had the most incredible time learning about agave spirits and Jalisco in general! We did a private tour due to our trip schedule but I am sure any experience would be great. This was an absolute highlight of our trip unlike any other tour you may have experienced. The entire company is passionate about what they do and that is clear throughout the tour. We toured distilleries, learned about historic and modern production, of course did tastings and got to eat delicious local food along the way. Cannot recommend this enough!! Thanks so much Andy and Juan Carlos

The two biggest issues I had were the lack of communication in the change in our itinerary, as well as the terrible taqueria we visited. For my private tour, I specifically asked that we visited fortaleza distillery. On the day of my tour, I was informed that fortaleza was closed and we would be going somewhere else. Im a little annoyed that I paid extra and specifically asked to go on a tour weeks in advance to fortaleza. It should have been up to Agave Experience to confirm that my planned tour day would work with fortaleza. I would have also have liked to be involved in the choosing of the distillery, rather than it being a surprise. The taqueria we were taken to (Tacos y Gorditas Dona Susy) was subpar. The food barely had any flavor, the meats were swimming in liquid, and the tortillas fell apart as if they were made of toilet paper. It almost feels like the tour company knows the owners of this company, because they certainly did not choose this place based on quality or merit. Beyond these two criticisms, this tour was a highlight of my trip! Out of all the reviews I saw, this was the one that consistently received high praise. Our guide Pedro was highly knowledgeable, spoke fairly good english, and was highly flexible in the timing of our tour. After visiting Cava De Oro, I can understand now why they insist on taking people here. The facilities is beautiful, with plenty of photo opps, great layout, as well as plenty of variety in the gift shop. The after tour lunch we went to was pretty good. Called Ruinas Chimulco, it had a beautiful courtyard you can roam around in. There was also another spot that was like a gazebo and it had a stunning view of the Jalisco landscape. We were the only ones there at 2pm, and it felt magical on that sunny day with tons of cumulus clouds. Part of the tour also involves stopping in the actual town of Tequila. This town is mostly geared towards tourist, so don’t expect much, other than restaurants geared for gringos and lots of refrigerators magnets and other overpriced souvenirs.

If you have an extra day in Guadalajara, there's no better way to spend it than with a personal tour with the Agave Experience. My wife Molly and I were part of a six person tour hosted by Jessy, one of 72 people in the world to hold a Master's degree in tequila. She picked us up at our hotel and thoroughly schooled us on the history and cultural significance of tequila during the hour drive out of Guadalajara. Our first stop was at a delightful roadside café with an excellent breakfast. My only regret was eating breakfast before she picked us up - something I won't do the next time! Then we were off to Cava de Oro, a distillery near the town of tequila. We learned about how tequila is processed and what differentiates the various classes of tequila (anejo, reposada, etc.). After seeing the workers process the agave and touring the caverns holding barrels of tequila we arrived at our underground tasting area. Jessy tested our smelling and tasting acumen and explained nuances of each. I didn't do well until told what smells and tastes to look for but quickly came to appreciate the delightful characteristics of the various tequilas we tasted. Jessy also introduced different flavors - grapefruit, chocolate and others - which enhanced the flavors of the various tequilas. Our visit at Cava de Oro ended with a visit to their store which featured the tequila at significantly less expensive price points than in California (the only state that sells the limited production of Cava de Oro tequilas). Plan on spending about $60 bucks for a bottle that would be twice that in the states. From Cava de Oro we went to a lovely spot overlooking fields of agave where we enjoyed a drink of tequila and fruit juices. Que bueno! Our final stop was a visit to the town of Tequila where we had a wonderful dinner (the Agave Experience covers the costs for all of the food and drinks) and were fortunate enough to experience a festival in the town's zocalo / main square. Indigenous people in colorful clothing recreated the fascinating tradition of twirling from a high tower as native music permeated the festivities. There were mariachis and the locals were happy to see us and very friendly and accommodating. We ended our day dropped off at our Guadalajara hotel with three bottles of tequila from Cava de Oro (you are allowed to bring five bottles back to the US) and the confidence to know how to appreciate tequila. I never thought tequila was as sophisticated as Scotch, Bourbon or wine but I know now! I highly recommend a day tour with the Agave Experience. If you're fortunate enough to get Jessy as your guide you will be well served with a knowledgeable guide who is extremely fluent in English. Perhaps all of the AE guides are of the same caliber. Salud!