How Tequila is Made - Tequila, Mexico

Every good tequila lover should make the pilgrimage to the motherland at some point in their lifetime. The tequila goes down even smoother after you have walked the agave fields, harvested an agave pina, and witnessed the processing of this incredible fluid.

As president of Adventure Mexican Insurance, I felt it was my duty to explore the legendary town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

NOTE: For auto insurance purposes, it is highly recommended that you take a tour bus if you plan to sample the tequila while visiting the processing facilities! Your Mexican auto insurance does not cover driving while under the influence of tequila.

I am an insurance and computer guy - not a writer, so I won't attempt to write a travel magazine type article. Instead, here are a few photos and random descriptions for your viewing pleasure.

Here is a baby agave plant. Each mature agave plant begins sprouting these babies at the base of their stalks. The farmers then cut these babies off and replant the fields with them. Some day this youngster will grow up to be delicious.

If you are lucky, the field workers just might let you harvest your own agave plant. After prying it out of the dusty volcanic soil, the prickly stalks are cut from the pina (the bulbous core of the plant). The pinas are then loaded onto trucks and hauled off to the distilleries.

To make a long story short: The pinas are then cooked, boiled, distilled, and then poured into oak barrels to age. Then comes the exciting part of the tour - tasting the fruits of all of this labor!

If possible, try to get into the caves where the good tequila is stored. This particular cave was filled with tequilas dating back hundreds of years!

Our hostess was kind enough to give us a pour of the home brew directly from the oak barrels - what a treat!