Drinking Tequila at the Source

When in Mexico it’s not hard to love tequila. I mean, who wouldn’t love sipping a couple margaritas watching a sunset in Acapulco? But for the intrepid traveler who must always venture beyond the standard beach resorts, the scenic state of Jalisco in the heart of Mexico offers a once in a lifetime insight into Mexican culture. Unlike in mainstream America, where tequila is viewed as the shot of choice for boozy spring breakers, tequila is revered as a fixture of national heritage in Mexico. Since its first appearance in the agave fields of Jalisco, tequila has played a vital role in everything from Mexican religion to the Mexican Revolution. Tequila is even considered by many to be the national symbol of Mexico. To truly appreciate tequila the Mexican way, a pilgrimage along Jalisco’s Tequila Trail is a no brainer.

After a short drive from the Guadalajara International Airport, travelers seeking the secrets of the Mexican spirit (or just looking to find a new favorite tequila) find themselves smack in the middle of miles and miles of agave fields and over 140 distilleries. Many of these distilleries offer tourists the chance to taste their signature tequilas. If you like to watch other people work while you drink, some distilleries even give guests a sneak peek into the production process.

A prime stopping point on the trail lies in (where else?) the town of Tequila. Here, comfortably situated in a lush oasis, awaits an 18^th century hacienda straight out of a Mexican folk-tale. The only thing that could make this old-world paradise any sweeter is what the property is used for today—the production of Casa Noble Tequila.

In this hacienda, tequila is more than a product; it’s a religion. Although it has a few centuries of tequila making under its belt, Casa Noble still adheres to the same process of tequila production as it did in the 1700’s. It’s these old world traditions that make Casa Noble the prime place for tourists to get a little taste of authentic Mexican tequila. In other words, you won’t find any sugary, neon green margaritas here.

Lucky for us, the Casa Noble tequila masters are more than happy to impart their divine knowledge to devotees who find their way to the distillery. Tours are Lead by the Master Distiller himself, who oversees every step of the process according to traditions that have been handed down in his family for generations. Can you imagine getting a tequila lesson from someone who’s spent his entire life learning the traditional way to make the purest tequila? Talk about a good drinking buddy.

The tour starts with the first step in making tequila, the harvesting of the agave plants. Following the professional harvesters, tourists hike through part of Casa Noble’s 3,000 acres of flourishing blue agave plants. Be sure to stave off your tequila drinking until after this step, however, as Casa Noble (in a show of extreme trust) gives their guests a super sharp “coa,” a special hoe for harvesting agaves, to take part in the harvesting themselves. After chopping up some 10-14 year old agaves (and hopefully not any body parts), you and your fellow tequila aficionados follow the plants to the centuries-old stone ovens, where the agave hearts are steam-cooked for over thirty hours.

After working up a sweat the drinking finally begins. Back in the distillery, guests learn the proper way to swirl, sniff, and taste the Casa Noble varieties from the Master Distiller, whose palate for the thrice-distilled tequila has been refined to a super-human level after years of practice. The tour then continues throughout the distillery, gifting you with some prime tequila facts that you can use to one-up all your colleagues at cocktail parties. For example, Casa Noble tequila ages exclusively in special white French oak barrels for either 364 days as Reposado tequila or five years as Añejo tequila.

When the tour and tasting is over, mixologists at the on-site bar show visitors what tequila is capable of, whipping up delicious seasonal cocktails made, of course, with Casa Noble tequilas. In case tequila alone isn’t enough sustenance for you, the restaurant also serves up traditional Mexican cuisine.

When your head begins to spin after a full day of touring and tequila sipping, meander over to one of the four personal villas that Casa Noble conveniently offers for over-night guests. Each of the rooms is uniquely designed by a local artist to pay tribute to a specific aspect of the Casa Noble spirit. The first room, the Mayahuel Villa, is dedicated to the goddess of agave herself; a tribute completed by the full wall of live, baby agave plants. The second suite, aptly named the Casa Noble Room, evokes the sophistication inherent in Casa Noble tequila. Gesturing towards the history of the old hacienda buildings, Room 3 celebrates the “Cofradia,” the local lingo for a group of people that get together to do a specific trade. The last villa, the “Los Confrades” room, is inspired by the well-respected elders that ruled the hacienda’s Confradia in ages past.

As you drift off to dreaming in a private villa fit for a goddess or ancient ruler, you seem to reach a tequila fueled nirvana. All that matters now is the rustle of mango tree leaves and the promise of more tequila on the trail tomorrow.

The country code for Mexico is 52.