In Jalisco, a state in western Mexico, there is a small town named Tequila that is the birthplace of the delicious and potent spirit that we all love and enjoy. Near the bottom of the Tequila Volcano are spectacular fields flowing with blue agave, which just happens to be the main ingredient of tequila. Would you like to know more information about the birthplace of tequila? You can see exactly how the liquor is made, and there are many different distilleries and haciendas that offer tours to the public so they can see how the tequila production process is orchestrated to create the tasty tequila. Here are just a few highlights of the birthplace of Tequila.
Birthplace of Tequila and History
As far back as the 1500’s, the native people who lived in the area used the blue agave plant, which contains sugar, to make the fermented drink that we know today as tequila. Once the Spanish people arrived at the area they started distilling the fermented drink and they started producing the well-known drink we all know and love called tequila. Franciscan monks founded Santiago de Tequila in 1530, and the locals that once inhabited the area around the Tequila Volcano or also referred to as Chiquihuitillo Mountain were not happy about the new arrival. The local people revolted against the Spanish in 1541, and they laid claim to recover the Tequila Mountain and surrounding area. Friar Juan Calero tried to calm the situation, but he was killed with arrows and rocks being thrown at him, and then they stripped his body of its robe and hung him on the local stone idol. Tequila was named a World Heritage Site because tequila became very popular, and was also called a “Pueblo Magico” or (Magical Town) by the Mexican Government in 2003.
Charming Small Town
Today, there are around 27,000 inhabitants in the small town. The Church of Santiago Apostol is the main church in this charming pueblo and was built in the 18th century. The Quinta Sauza is another significant structure in the small town, and this structure was built in the 1830’s. The Quinta Sauza has an exterior garden that is very large and it contains beautiful and intricate stone fountains. The interior courtyard has a breathtaking fountain that has been elaborately decorated and detailed that is in the centerpiece of the interior courtyard. The chapel can be accessed through the back entrance, which is just off of the courtyard. It is a perfect spot for a quiet moment to take in the beauty of old world Mexico and you can almost imagine how life was hundreds of years ago.
Exhibits, Museums, and Tours
The La Perserverancia Distillery was first built in 1873, and today the distillery offers guided tours where visitors can view Gabriel Flores painted work that shows the production process of making. There is also a museum at the distillery, which features sculptures, paintings, pictures, and distillery machinery along with a regional crafts room. The Museo Nacional del Tequila and the Museo Los Abuelos features tequila history exhibits. In 1997, the Tequila Express train was created for visitors, and every Saturday and Sunday visitors can jump aboard the train, sip a margarita or two, and then travel through the beautiful tequila countryside while listening to live mariachi bands playing music.
Are you planning a vacation to Mexico in the future? If you are, then you will want to make sure you spend a day or two in the small, charming town of Tequila, which is the birthplace of tequila. You and your family will learn about tequila history while enjoying a delicious margarita on the rocks. Are you ready to visit the birthplace of tequila?