My stepson Jeff and his wife Debbie are visiting so we hired Miguel (of round pyramid fame) to drive us to Amatitan (near Tequila) for a Herradura tequila distillery tour. Thought you might find the very complicated process interesting, from countryside on the way to the final tasting. The final bottle they sampled was a $500 a bottle premium bottle. Egah! I was on antibiotics so couldn’t sample.
Click on first photo to enlarge all and see captions.
Extinct volcanos dotted the scenery on the way to Amatitan andTequila.
Blue agave by side of road.
Countryside on the way to tequila country.
Welcome to Herradura
These residences on the property have housed the families of workers for hundreds of years. Some of the descendants of original workers in the distillery still live here.
It is a good idea to look down while walking on cobblestones.
Our greeter.
Every establishment needs a resident cat.
I’m not sure whether this was a joke or meant to be taken literally. Since the bottles can only be washed out with tequila, the tequila that is used for such purposes is used as fuel in other parts of the process, so perhaps it really can be used as automobile fuel as well. The guide didn’t think so, but had never noticed this sign either, so who knows? Further Google research yielded this information: Search Results Featured snippet from the web A fuel made from the main ingredient of tequila could one day be used to power your car across the country, according to new research. … Professor Tan said the research showed agave had some ‘significant advantages’ over existing sources of bioethanol such as sugarcane and corn.
Blue agave.
Found art.
Chopping the spines off the agave.
Agave bundles are put into the kilns to steam.
Kiln
Smoked agave.
Chewed smoked agave. Very sweet.
Vats for aing the agave brew.
Pipes for the distilling process
heating and cooling coils.
Three stages of tequila
Those who buy a $15,000 keg get to sign these kegs in the wall of the old distillery.
All lined up for the tasting.
We learn the right way to “appreciate” tequila
Silver Tequila
Premium tequila, $500 a bottle.
Debbie checks the legs of the $500 a bottle tequila.
And tastes, and likes!!!
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
I love tours like this, even if I don’t partake of the final product! This looks really interesting, and what an end product!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me, too.
LikeLike
That’s very interesting! I didn’t know those plants can be that useful 😁😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photos, Judy. Looks like a wonderful trip.
LikeLike
So how was the tequila? I’ve never tried agave, didn’t know it was cooked this way!
LikeLike
I couldn’t taste it. I was on antibiotics. Deb and Jeff thought the $500 stuff was fine but the 55 proof was like cleaning solution.
LikeLike
Great tour, Judy…Thank you. Hope you’re feeling better.
LikeLike
I am..still have a cold but cold pills are controlling it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Lonely Artist Covid Art Challenge, Artist #4, Jeff Brown | lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown