The Agave Experience — Local services in Jalisco

In August 2020, I traveled to Guadalajara for a Spanish language immersion class. Being in the heart of Tequila country and Tequila being my favorite liquor, I knew I absolutely wanted to do a tour. I'm not typically a fan of large group tours as I find them too canned and "touristy". In addition, this was right in the middle of dealing with Covid, so a small group made even more sense. This craft tequila tour was absolutely perfect!

First, I was fortunate enough to be the only person on the tour the day I booked. So, I truly had a personalized experience. Giancarlo, the owner, picked me up at my hotel. Giancarlo has a degree in biology and is working towards his Masters degree in Tequila, so he is GENUINELY passionate and knowledgeable about Tequila. Our first stop was at an authentic mexican cafe for breakfast, where we enjoyed seeing the ladies hand-making fantastic tortillas and gorditas and fresh squeezed juices. We then ventured to an agave field to learn about the sensational nature of this multi-purpose plant and the soul of Tequila. Our Tequila tour and tasting was done at a small, private Tequila maker that utilizes a very unique process. I've been on many wine tours and I enjoy learning the process of how various tastes are created. The tasting itself was a pleasure with a large variety flight, including dark chocolate and crickets!! After the tasting we went to the town of Tequila and enjoyed a tasty authentic Mexican lunch and walked around the shops for a bit and then headed back to Guadalajara.

Giancarlo is truly a connoisseur and a pleasure to spend the day with. He even helped me with my Spanish learning. The overall experience was personal, unique, educational, safe, and a lot of fun. I HIGHLY recommend this life experience for everyone who wants to open their minds to the wonder that is TEQUILA!!!

Giancarlo and I have stayed in touch over the years and I am happy to call him a friend. He is professional and an expert through and through....

The Agave Experience with Pedro and Giancarlo was the single most diverse and fun tour I've been on. The day started out with a large and air conditioned van that picked us up directly from our AirBnB. They offered us chilled waters and beers as we made our way to breakfast for authentic gorditas and tacos. They insisted we start the day on a full stomach before the first agave farm, which was a great suggestion. Both of them were highly educated and passionate about the craft of tequila making. They made sure to explain every step of the process in a fun and engaging way. The two are masters educated and distillers themselves, even contributing a bottle of their own Sabor Del Sol tequila, so good, so smooth. The tour not only included two tequila distilleries but also took advantage of it being Mexican Independence Day. Pedro and Giancarlo thought it would be a fun and different experience for us to take advantage of a local rodeo. Yes, a rodeo on a tequila tour. After working up quite the appetite, Pedro and Giancarlo suggested a phenomenal local restaurant in Amatitán la Orillita, which was delicious. Since Pedro and Giancarlo are locals they knew of Amatiteña, a super hip night club in the middle of an agave field. The whole tour lasted the entire day and went into the wee hours of the night. Do yourself a favor and check out The...

Our group of 4 enjoyed this experience. It was wonderful getting picked up right in front of our Airbnb by Pedro and his driver. The van was very spacious and comfortable. We were joined by 4 other friendly travelers. After we left the city, our first stop was breakfast at a local place. the tacos were delicious. We then went on to an agave field where he started explaining the origin of Tequila and how it is harvested from the agave plant. It was wonderful meeting the jimador, the special travel who harvests the plant and having him show us how he works the 'cao'. We tasted tequila at two different distilleries. Pedro showed us the right way to enjoy Tequila and which brands to go for. We found it to be a very personal and enjoyable tour. The restaurant he chose for lunch turned out to be great. One of our best lunches while we were in Guadalajara. I would have liked to try the pulque but our time was cut short due to traffic headed back to the city being that it was Sunday. Would highly recommend this tour if you want to immerse yourself more in...