Recently, my husband and I were invited to tour the original Tequila distillery, the Jose Cuervo La Rojena, in the town of Tequila located in Jalisco, Mexico.
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena distillery in Tequila Mexico
I arrived at La Rojena a skeptic, with low expectations for the tour as I have not been a fan of Tequila. But throughout the course of the tour, which included Jose Cuervo tastings and a superb luncheon, something magical happened. I was charmed, enchanted, transformed, impressively educated and completely converted. In essence, I enthusiastically recommend a visit to this superb hacienda and distillery, and I can confirm that I am now a big fan of Margaritas made with Jose Cuervo! Moreover, I will savor the Reserva de la Familia, straight up like a fine whiskey or cognac.
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena distillery
Why am I recommending La Rojena and Jose Cuervo? We have toured many wineries and distilleries, from Opus One in Napa to Banfi in Tuscany and both Chateau Lafite and Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Burgundy. We have also tasted our way through the Whiskey Trail in Scotland. La Rojena compares very favorably with these other first-class operations.
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena – Barrels of Tequila
Although it was founded in 1758 and legally established in 1812, making it the oldest distillery in Latin America, it is today a state-of-the-art facility which is impressively and lovingly maintained. Hence, it is not surprising that Jose Cuervo enjoys an impressive 35.1% market share of the tequila category world wide.
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Jose Cuervo – Reserva de la Familia Tequila
Ambiance and beauty contribute to the aura of Jose Cuervo. The hacienda and the distillery exude an air of refined elegance, featuring hand-painted murals and sculptures from some of Mexico’s leading artists,
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena – Mural
a charming old-world atrium for outdoor dining,
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Jose Cuervo La Hacienda
a collection of rare antique cars,
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena – Vintage car
the best of oak barrels from France and the U.S., and my personal favorite — a gallery of the annual artist-designed boxes for Cuervos’ award-winning special Reserva de la Familia, first offered for sale to the public in 1995.
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Jose Cuervo La Rojena – Coleccion Reserva de la Familia
The marriage of high tech standards with old world traditions at La Rojena is complemented by the quality of the tour. Our guide, Juan Pablo, was extremely well-informed and charming, able and very willing to answer any question that was thrown his way by our professional travel journalist colleagues. Plus he complemented his explanations with very “Mexican” human interest facts, such as the role of the estate’s burro in the production process, and how the charring of the barrel impacts the taste and aroma of the finished product.
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Guapo, the Jose Cuervo Tequila mule!
Now I know to look for Jose Cuervo “Tostado Fuerte” if I want my Margaritas to have notes of fruits, toasted almonds, and chocolate. I love chocolate, and we can thank the Aztecs of Mexico for this sublime treat. Our tour included several tastings, and concluded in the magnificent Caves of Jose Cuervo with a tasting of Reserva de la Familia in beautiful crystal glassware. The memory of that divine drink is potent.
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Jose Cuervo La Hacienda – Sopa de tortilla con mango margarita
Our 4-hour visit concluded with a luncheon in the atrium of this stunning hacienda. Serenaded by Mariachis with our every need catered to, we enjoyed a 3-course meal expertly prepared by La Rojena’s chef.
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Jose Cuervo La Hacienda – Mariachis
Less than an hour’s drive from Guadalajara, Tequila is a charming town definitely worth a side trip. But don’t miss the tour of La Rojena. We lived in Mexico for 4 years and traveled extensively around this fascinating country. The visit of La Rojena is definitely one of the most memorable we’ve ever had … as the Cuervo family says, it’s “pure Mexico”. http://www.mundocuervo.com/en/home.html
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With so much of the world having become homogenized, what a joy to step back in time to the simple elegance of old Mexico! I’m inspired to sip Jose Cuervo La Rojena
in a fragrant courtyard before slipping away for my siesta. Thank you for sharing this most lovely experience.
Looks awesome!
P.S Had Mescal in Oaxaca and it was potent- think I’ll stick to Tequila next time.
I love the photos. It looks like a fun place to visit. Probably touristy but I’d go!
Looks like lots of fun! Jose and I broke up years ago on a certain New Year’s Eve, but perhaps now that decades have passed I could give him another chance. 😉
My husband would really like to take a tour like this. He is a tequila lover who prefers sipping anejo. As for me, I think I could manage that lunch:-)
I am not a big fan of tequila either, although I enjoy the occasional Margaritas. But I think I would enjoy this tour.
I once attended a special event at the Jose Cuervo hacienda but didn’t get the distillery tour. Sounds interesting, I did, however, enjoy the Tequila train on that same trip. These were the mariachis that saw us off at the train station, https://youtu.be/7h5cxjy_3y4
I’m not much of a drinker, but a margarita occasionally hits the spot! Sounds like a lovely tour!
I always love tours like this and this looks like one of the best!!
Love this post! Especially the mural and antique cars. So cool. Would love to tour the plant someday. Will have to work on making that happen 🙂
Well now I have to go here! Thank you for the inspiration 🙂