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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.