Guadalajara – The Cultural Heartbeat of Jalisco

The journey begins in Guadalajara, a city where tradition and modernity dance in perfect harmony. With its baroque architecture, colorful markets, and the ever-present sound of mariachi, Guadalajara embodies Mexico’s generous soul.

Our first evening began with a welcome cocktail at the Governor’s Residence — a majestic colonial palace filled with cultural artifacts and murals narrating Jalisco’s history. In its vast inner courtyard, under the soft glow of lanterns, we were welcomed with local delicacies and our first sips of tequila — the ideal prologue to understanding this land of warmth and craftsmanship.

Valle del Tequila – A UNESCO Heritage of Spirit and Soil

An hour away from Guadalajara, the landscape opens into an amphitheater of bluish hills covered in agave. This is Paisaje Agavero y Valle del Tequila, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The town of Tequila, with its cobbled streets, colonial houses and historic distilleries, offers a complete immersion into the universe of Mexico’s national drink. Each distillery has its own story – some preserve traditional methods using stone ovens and tahona wheels pulled by mules, while others impress with contemporary technology and interactive tours.

The route includes the towns of Amatitán, El Arenal, Magdalena, Ahualulco de Mercado, Etzatlán and Teuchitlán, each with a distinct identity. In Teuchitlán lies the Guachimontones Archaeological Zone, a unique circular complex and proof of a pre-Hispanic civilization that first cultivated the agave plant.

Beyond tastings, the region offers authentic gastronomy in restaurants such as La Cueva de Don Cenobio and La Antigua Casona, and accommodation experiences in historical haciendas like Hacienda El Carmen and Solar de las Ánimas.

New tourism projects announced for 2026 – including the La Familia Rivera Trail in Teuchitlán and My Quetzal Trail in Amatitán – will further enrich the experience with themed tours, mixology, gastronomy and outdoor adventure.

Los Altos del Tequila – Where Tradition Meets Elegance

To the northeast, at altitudes above 1,500 meters, lies Los Altos de Jalisco – a region known for its elegant tequilas with floral aromas and a silky texture. The red, iron-rich soil and cooler climate define the distinct style of tequilas produced here, and locals proudly call it “the land with a soul.”

The Los Altos del Tequila Route crosses the towns of Arandas, Atotonilco el Alto, Tepatitlán de Morelos, Ayotlán, Acatic and San Ignacio Cerro Gordo – forming a triangle of distilleries, haciendas and charro traditions, Mexico’s national equestrian heritage.

Distillery tours such as Tequila Don Julio (Atotonilco el Alto), Campo Azul (Jesús María) and San Matías (Acatic) offer visitors a complete experience – from walking through agave fields to guided tastings and farm-to-table gastronomic pairings.

Culinary offerings here are equally refined, from Bramido and Casa Trujillo in Tepatitlán to La Regina 1904 in Arandas. The local cuisine blends terroir ingredients – corn, beans, beef and artisanal cheeses – with tequila or raicilla pairings, creating a contemporary reinterpretation of tradition.

Haciendas transformed into boutique hotels, such as Hacienda Vieja (Arandas) or Casa Naranjos (Tepatitlán), offer colonial charm and modern comfort, ideal for cultural and gastronomic tourism.

Raicilla – The Hidden Gem of Jalisco

Beyond tequila, Jalisco brings another spirit into the spotlight: Raicilla, a distillate with its own Denomination of Origin. Produced mainly in the coastal and mountain regions, Raicilla embodies a 300-year-old artisanal tradition.

Made from various species of agave, this handcrafted spirit combines ancestral methods – roasting the agave hearts in clay ovens, natural fermentation, and distillation in copper or clay stills. Raicilla has a surprising aromatic profile, with earthy, wild herb and tropical fruit notes, and a delicate mineral finish.

The recognition of its Denomination of Origin in 2019 has brought Raicilla international attention, while the Ruta de la Raicilla and Ruta Costalegre offer visitors the opportunity to discover the small producers who keep this ancient craft alive.

Puerto Vallarta – Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

The journey ends on the Pacific coast, in Puerto Vallarta, a destination that blends Mexican spirit with modern sophistication. The resort town is a meeting point between ocean, mountains and culture, offering a mix of fine dining, adventure tourism and authentic hospitality.

The beaches of Costalegre, from Chamela to Careyes, invite both relaxation and exploration – through fishing villages, nature reserves and beachfront bars where cocktails made with Tequila and Raicilla have become iconic.

A Journey Through the True Taste of Mexico

From Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco offers more than a route — it offers a revelation. Every city, every distillery, every dish tells a story about people, land, and legacy. Here, authenticity isn’t a marketing term; it’s a way of life. Jalisco is a place to taste, to listen, and to feel — because in Mexico, flavor always comes with a story.

A Spirit with a Secret Past

Raicilla was born in the 17th century, when local producers sought to escape the heavy colonial taxes on agave distillates. To disguise it, they called it “raicilla” — “little root” — implying it came from the plant’s roots rather than its heart.
But behind that humble name stood centuries of craft. Indigenous people of western Mexico had already been cooking agave (maguey) long before Spanish colonization. The word mezcal itself comes from the Nahuatl mexcalli — “cooked maguey” — a reminder that these spirits predate the modern state and even the nation itself.

In Jalisco, this ancestral knowledge merged with the distilling techniques brought from Asia through the Manila Galleon trade route (1565–1815). Ships sailing from the Philippines to Acapulco carried not only spices and silk, but also the art of distillation. When that knowledge reached the mountains of Jalisco, it fused with local tradition — and Raicilla was born.

From “Vino Mezcal” to Denomination of Origin

By the 1800s, agave spirits were known generically as vino mezcal, produced across a wide region that included Tequila.
Historical records show that by 1887, over 60 million agaves were being cultivated, yielding 100,000 barrels of mezcal wine.
But Raicilla took a different path. Produced in remote highlands and coastal villages, often outside the law, it remained a rural secret — passed from generation to generation in small tabernas.

It wasn’t until 2019 that Raicilla received its own Denomination of Origin (DO), covering 16 municipalities in Jalisco and one in Nayarit. After three centuries of hiding, the “little root” had finally earned its name in history.

The Taste of Place

Raicilla is more than a drink — it’s a conversation with the land.
Depending on where it’s made, its character shifts dramatically:

• Raicilla de la Sierra comes from the temperate, mineral-rich highlands around Mascota and San Sebastián del Oeste, made mostly from Agave maximiliana and inaequidens. These are floral, herbaceous, with crisp acidity — the mountain air bottled.
• Raicilla de la Costa is born in the warm, humid Pacific lowlands near El Tuito and Tomatlán, where Agave angustifolia and rhodacantha thrive. Here, the flavors are rounder, fruitier, with whispers of mango, sea breeze and smoke.

I still remember tasting a Sierra-style Raicilla in a small distillery Taberna Tres Gallos. It had notes of pine and citrus, with a faint trace of smoke and salt. There was something profoundly human in it — imperfect, alive, and honest.

Craft and Chemistry

Despite its rustic charm, Raicilla is a marvel of natural chemistry.
When agave piñas are roasted, their complex inulin break down into simple sugars; during fermentation, wild yeasts transform them into alcohols and aromatic esters; and distillation in clay or copper stills concentrates those volatile compounds into a rich, textured spirit.

Each stage adds complexity:

• Roasting creates caramelized, smoky notes.
• Fermentation yields fruit and spice aromas.
• Distillation refines texture and structure.

Most Raicillas are bottled between 40–50% ABV, unaged (joven) to preserve purity. Some are aged in oak barrels (reposado or añejo) or matured in glass (madurada en vidrio), softening the edges and introducing tones of vanilla, dried fruit and spice.

The Human Scale of Production

Unlike tequila, Raicilla remains proudly artisanal.
There are only about 82 registered distilleries, producing roughly 650,000 liters per year — a fraction of the industrial tequila output. The ecosystem is intimate: farmers, distillers and families working side by side, cultivating around 1,100 hectares of agave.

About 70% of Raicilla comes from Agave maximiliana, a species that grows wild on the steep slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Harvesting it is not industrial — it’s personal. Each plant matures for 8 to 12 years before it’s cut, roasted in earthen ovens, and fermented under open skies.

It’s this connection to time and place that gives Raicilla its soul. You can taste the patience, the weather, the altitude.

Tasting Raicilla: A Personal Moment

Due to Spirits Selection by CMB, surrounded by experts from all over the world, I found myself in front of a glass that defied expectations. Unlike tequila’s clean precision or mezcal’s smoky intensity, Raicilla seemed wilder — its aromas unfolding slowly, unpredictably. Notes of wild herbs, citrus peel, sun-warmed earth, and a faint saltiness that lingered on the palate. It reminded me of why we travel for taste: to find authenticity. Raicilla isn’t polished; it’s pure. It speaks of mountains, fire, and people who never stopped believing that tradition has a place in modernity.

From Hidden Past to Bright Future

Today, Raicilla stands proudly alongside tequila and mezcal as one of Mexico’s great spirits.
The Ruta de la Raicilla, launched by the Jalisco Tourism Board, invites travelers to visit its tabernas, meet distillers, and experience the landscape behind each bottle — mountains shrouded in mist, clay ovens smoldering with agave fibers, and families who turn nature into culture.

For me, Raicilla is more than a rediscovery — it’s a reminder.
That authenticity survives when people care.
That every sip can carry centuries of memory.
And that sometimes, the smallest roots grow into the strongest traditions.

Spirits Selection by CMB 2025: Between Competition and Discovery

The town of Tequila in Mexico is not only a place with an emblematic name, but also a symbol of a tradition that has conquered the world. This September, it hosted the 27th edition of the Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – one of the most prestigious international competitions dedicated to spirits.

Over the course of three days, 140 judges from 45 countries embarked on a true marathon of diversity: 2,598 entries, representing 70 countries and divided into 64 categories, including six new ones dedicated to lesser-known traditional spirits – from India’s Mahua to Mexico’s Sotol and Cyprus’ Zivania. These numbers illustrate the globalization of spirits, but the experience of judging goes far beyond statistics.

Day One – Grapes, Terroir, and Heritage

My panel was made up of five members – four women and one man, a colleague from Denmark who specializes mainly in sugarcane-based distillates. We were surprised to discover that, despite our different cultural backgrounds and professional experiences, our preferences often aligned.

The first day focused on grape-based spirits: Pisco from Peru and Chile, Rakija from Bulgaria, Unaged Grappa from Italy, and finally, the elegance of a refined Cognac from France. It was a day where terroir spoke powerfully, with each glass carrying traditions that span centuries.

Day Two – From Mysterious Gins to No/Lo Aperitifs

The second day took us on a whirlwind tour around the world. We began with citrus-flavored gins, difficult to pinpoint – they could have originated anywhere. We then moved on to Mezcal, the distinctly Mexican spirit with smoky character, before engaging in lively debates over the provenance of Agricultural & Cane Juice Rhum. Was it Madeira, the Caribbean, or another exotic country? Impossible to say with certainty.

Perhaps the most challenging session of the day was the No/Lo aperitifs. A boundless category, where producers’ creativity was reflected in vibrant colors, unexpected aromas, and unconventional styles. We ended the evening with Kaolang, a Taiwanese Baijiu that impressed us with its intensity and complexity.

Day Three – Global Whisky and Herbal Elixirs

The final day was once again an exotic journey. We began with a World Blended Whisky, moved on to a French Single Malt, and then discovered, to our delight, Slivovitz – the famous plum spirit, pronounced exactly as it is written.

This was followed by a series of sweet and intensely aromatic herbal liqueurs – mint, eucalyptus, Mediterranean herbs – reminiscent of medicinal tonics, both invigorating and fragrant. The competition closed in spectacular fashion with a Sauce Aroma Baijiu, an authentic expression of Chinese tradition.

Beyond Tasting – The Spirit of the Competition

What makes Spirits Selection unique is not only the diversity or quality of the entries, but also the working atmosphere: carefully calibrated sessions, impeccable organization, and judging panels designed to reflect global diversity. Every sample is blind-tasted with rigor and attention, ensuring that the medals awarded truly stand as benchmarks of quality.

But the competition also offers producers a powerful tool for promotion and visibility. Winning a medal here means more than professional recognition: it brings tangible market advantages – increased trust among distributors, access to new export markets, international media exposure, and, often, a boost in sales.

In addition, Spirits Selection serves as a genuine networking platform. Producers connect with experts, communicators, importers, and retailers, while their stories travel further through the voices of judges and organizers. The competition builds bridges between cultures and markets, between tradition and innovation.

A Global Showcase for Tradition and Innovation

Ultimately, what remains is not just the tasting notes, but the image of a competition that brings together worlds, continents, and cultures in a single place. Spirits Selection by CMB is more than a medal podium: it is a stage where tradition meets innovation, where small and large producers alike join in a shared dialogue.

In Tequila, Mexico, I rediscovered not only the strength of an emblematic drink, but also the beauty of an international community of professionals united by the same passion. I left with the feeling that every glass we tasted was, in fact, a story told in the universal language of spirits.