3rd Annual Arizona Taco Festival, Scottsdale, 20-21 October 2012

Over 50 taco teams will compete in various meat categories offering tens of thousands of tacos to event attendees while submitting competition tacos to the National Taco Association judges. $20 to enter the Tequila Tent buys you 10 half ounce samples (over 100 tequila choices). Other familiar parts of the fiesta will return: Lucha Libre wrestling, live surf music, cooking demonstrations, and $2 tacos everywhere. But new this year: a mariachi contest, flair bartending challenge, and a second day! Event will be held on the grass at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, AZ. Free parking for all. For more information, visit: Arizona Taco Festival

Phoenix Tequila Fest, 15-16 December 2012

The event will take place at the US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street in Phoenix, Arizona. Sample blancos, reposados, and añejos premium and ultra premium tequilas ranging from legendary brands to boutique spirits distilled in the heart of Mexico. Enjoy continuous live entertainment and meet tequila enthusiasts from all over the world in a festive atmosphere filled with holiday cheer. For more information, visit: http://www.phoenixtequilafest.com

Tours to the Land of the Blue Agave

As of 2009, there are a limited number of tour guides for hire that will pick you up at your hotel in Guadalajara and shuttle you (and your group) to tequila distilleries. If this is something you would like to do, I recommend you consider touring with David Ruiz, Tequila Expert and Consultant. Mr. Ruiz is an excellent interpreter, very helpful if you don't speak Spanish. His tours are custom private tours for select guests that want to learn about tequila and sample some of the finest tequilas available. He explains history, culture, and the production process and his outfit has special agreements with leading boutique tequila brands allowing tasting of their ultra premium tequilas not normally available to visitors. Tequila Tours.com is registered with the Mexican Secretary of Tourism. For more information, visit: http://www.tequilatours.com/

An alternative might be to take a tour with Clayton Szczech at "Experience Tequila". Although I have not personally taken this tour, it appears interesting and well organized. For more information, visit: http://www.experiencetequila.com/

Another option is to take the bus from Guadalajara (Centro Viejo Autobus also known as the "Old" bus station) to the town of Tequila. There are museums and distilleries within walking distance of the main plaza and you can easily arrange tours (including transportation) to a few local distilleries with tour groups departing the central plaza. Busses run frequently throughout the day back and forth between Guadalajara and Tequila. We found this is not the case from the new bus station in Guadalajara.

Touring the Arandas area is a bit more difficult as most distilleries do not give tours on a regular basis, and they are not nearly as accessible as those in the town of Tequila. It can be hit or miss when you show up (if there will be someone available and willing to give you a tour). Hiring a tour guide to visit the highland distilleries around Atotonilco and Arandas is recommended. Another possibility is to hire a taxi for the day with a driver that knows the area. If you don't speak any Spanish, this may not be your best option (unless you can find a driver that speaks your language). We did a bit of both by hiring a tour guide (David Ruiz) who picked us up in Guadalajara and dropped us off at a hotel in Arandas after visiting distilleries in the Atotonilco and Arandas area. The next day we hired taxi driver Jose Navarro (Tel 348-107-3732). Jose took us to visit three more distilleries in the Arandas area. Jose speaks some English and his rates are reasonable. We took the bus back from Arandas to Guadalajara. The trip takes about 2 hours and cost less than $10 per person (one-way). The bus from Arandas to Guadalajara arrives at the new bus station in Guadalajara. This is a huge bus station (multiple terminals) with connections to major cities throughout Mexico.

We were impressed with many of the distilleries we toured. If you get the chance, I recommend you visit Hacienda San Jose del Refugio (Herradura), Los Abuelos (Fortaleza), La Cofradia & Casa Noble, Espolon (Cabo Wabo), Siete Leguas (7 Leguas), and Tequila 1921. I'm sure there are others just as worthy, but we simply ran out of time. To view photos of some of the distilleries, visit our DISTILLERY PHOTO GALLERY section of this website.
Unfortunately, we were unable to tour the production area of Cazadores because we were wearing short pants. I understand they also have a restriction for ladies wearing high-heeled shoes.

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