Tequila Express

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

The Tequila Express pulled slowly out of the Guadalajara train station heading for Amatitan and the Hacienda San Jose´ del Refugio, home of Casa Herradura. Along the one-hour-and-45-minute journey, the “blue” agave fields dot the countryside.

On this October Saturday morning, families and American tourists fill the five clean and comfortable cars; each car has a capacity of 68 passengers. The train, which only runs on Saturday, has everything — carpeting, air conditioning, men’s and ladies’ rooms, stereo music, private security, medical services and a bilingual guide.

Make no mistake; this is a party train. An 11-piece Mariachi group strolls from car to car, while passengers taste tequila or have a choice of beer and soft drinks and a light snack.

As the train click-clacked along the rails, we learned about the production of tequila — from Aztec mythology to the present. We also learned about the objectives of the Tequila Express.

“The Tequila Express has several main objectives,” said Daniel, our guide. “We want to publicize the production of our tequila, our national drink, as ancient and modern. We want to bring back the passenger train in the form of tourism and we want to disseminate the culture and history of El Mariachi, the national sport of charrería, folk dances and the colors and flavors of the food.”

Daniel also said that the Tequila Express aimed to become the biggest attraction on the tourist corridor, Route Agavero Tequila Landscape, and to insure that the variety Weber blue agave tequila continues to retain the title of Patrimony of the Humidity.

We began our trip at 10:30 a.m. at Station rocarril r Fe De Guadalajara where passengers were greeted with live mariachi music. Once registered, passengers are assigned a car color. Mine was orange. Going through security is the only part of the trip that looks as though a fire drill has gone awry. Men to the left; women to the right; no pushing or shoving.

In 1997, the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism Guadalajara, in conjunction with Ferrocarril Mexicano, created the Tequila Express. The route from Guadalajara, capital

of Jalisco, to Amatitan is part of a UNESCO Heritage Site, which includes El Arenal and Tequila.

Upon arrival at the Amatitan station, passengers boarded buses and were transported to the Hacienda San José del Refugio. There were two tours of the distillery, one in Spanish and one in English.

Tequila Herradura’s origins date back to 1820. The harvest of the agave plant is an ancient

manual process, which has not changed in centuries. The jimador, and expert in selecting and cutting the agaves, uses a sharp, long-handled tool called a coa. He cuts the thorny leaves that stand out from the heart of the plant, leaving the center (the piña or pineapple) intact. He then cuts the piña in half for cooking.

We moved to the old distillery that dates from the 19^th century before visiting the museum where a video illustrates the daily work in the hacienda.

The liquid that results from fermentation needs distilling twice in still pots to be considered a tequila. It is during the second process where the aromas, color and authentic flavor of the white tequila is obtained. Casa Herradura, according to our guide, produces the tequila with the highest alcoholic conte

nt in the world — 46 percent. Casa Herradura is the first tequila company to age a tequila since 1965. All of its barrels are made of American white oak, imported from Kentucky. Craftsmen of the region make the barrels in the barrel-making area. Each barrel has a five-year lifespan.

“The barrels are kept in lots depending on the aging time needed,” said Saul, our distillery guide. “It is here where the amber color, rich in aromas and flavors, is obtained.”

At the end of the tour, there is a buffet lunch consisting of a variety of Mexican dishes. The luncheon is festive, enlivened by folkloric dances, charras and singers — all accompanied by mariachi music. And, if you are so inclined, there is more tasting of both gold and blanco (white) tequila.

The one-hour-and-45-minute train-ride back to Guadalajara features more mariachi music and tequila tasting. Our group had a pool, picking the time when the first person would fall asleep.

We boarded at 6 p.m. I won the pool with a pick of 6:15. The first person fell asleep at 6:09. My winnings? A shot of tequila.

Recommendations: Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Eat a hearty breakfast. Bring cameras and video. Be in the train station in Guadalajara (Washington Avenue and Calzada Independencia) at 10 a.m. with your tickets.

The tour is $ 950 pesos for adults (about $75 American) and $550 pesos (about $43 American) for children 6 to 11 years old; free for children under 5 years old. The seniors credential INAPAM is $850 (about $66 American). The purchase of tickets is made at the Chamber of Commerce, at Av Vallarta 4095 esq.

For further information, phone: 3880-90-99 and 3122-79-20.

Remember, passports are needed for travel into Mexico. Guadalajara has a long history and is the second largest city in Mexico. It has beautiful French and Colonial architecture, large marketplaces and numerous plazas.

Mexicana and Aeromexico have daily flights to Guadalajara from LAX. Aeromexico also has daily flights out of Ontario.

Where to Stay: Presidente Intercontinental (52 33 3678 1234).