To further promote tequila as a symbol of Mexican and Jalisco identity, tequila companies and the Jalisco Tourism Secretariat (Secturjal) presented the new Los Altos Tequila Route.
The state’s new tourism product seeks to highlight the cultural, historical, and productive richness of the El Alto region, where some of the most recognized brands of this emblematic beverage are produced.
In addition to boosting tourism in the producing municipalities, the new Tequila Route also seeks to position the Los Altos region of Jalisco as a strategic destination on the national and international tourism map, offering experiences centered on agave, artisanal tequila production, and the traditions that give life to this beverage, which earned the country’s first Designation of Origin.
The Los Altos Tequila Route encompasses eight municipalities: Acatic, Tepatitlán, San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, Arandas, Jesús María, Atotonilco El Alto, Ayotlán, and Tototlán. These municipalities offer 75 tourist products and experiences, with 1,691 hotel rooms and 533 food and beverage establishments.
The first Tequila Route is located in the Valles de Jalisco region, which includes the municipality and Magical Town of Tequila. It was created in 2006, just as UNESCO declared the “Agave Landscape and Former Tequila Industrial Facilities” a World Heritage Site.
However, at least 100 distilleries are located in the Los Altos region. According to data from the Altos Sur Industrial Coordinating Council, the majority of tequila exported to the world comes from the Altos Sur region, and specifically from two municipalities: Atotonilco El Alto and Jesús María, where 90% of tequila exports originate.
According to the Altos Sur Industrial Coordinating Council, tequila exports from that region alone will reach $2.5 billion in 2023. This region is home to brands such as Teremana, by actor Dwayne Johnson “The Rock,” in the municipality of Jesús María, and Casamigos and Tequila Don Julio, by British company Diageo, in Atotonilco El Alto.
Attractions for the 2026 World Cup
The head of Secturjal (Secturjal), Michelle Fridman, indicated that, in principle, sixteen tequila houses have been added to Route 16, which she said is an active tourism product with growth potential in the medium and long term.
The region’s distilleries, in collaboration with state authorities, are developing new experiences to operate before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the sporting event is expected to bring nearly three million visitors to the state.
Among the proposals are the Tequila Clase Azul interpretive museum; Reserva de Los González will offer equestrian activities among agave fields; Tequila Don Julio will develop the “Mundo de Don Julio” center, which will include a restaurant, museum, and integrated experiences; and Tequila Campo Azul will offer “El Tesoro de los Altos,” a project featuring cabins, agave field tours, ATV activities, and tasting workshops.
Meanwhile, Tequila San Matías will present a “Farm to Table” experience in an agricultural production area, combining local cuisine with tequila; and Casa Loy will develop a pairing experience with traditional tequila-related cuisine.
The Red Earth of Los Altos
“It’s a very interesting project; if you already know something about the tequila industry in the Valles region, it’s also worthwhile to learn about the culture of Los Altos de Jalisco, to meet its people, to get to know its land, its region, and its processes,” Mauricio Camarena, owner of Tequila Carrera, produced at the family distillery La Arandina in the municipality of Arandas, told El Economista.
In an interview with this media outlet, Mauricio Camarena explained the characteristics that make the tequila produced in the Los Altos region different and unique.
“There are no bad tequilas, there are different profiles. The producers of Arandas, particularly us at Tequila Carrera, are practically 2,160 meters above sea level and we have red soil that is very rich in ferrous oxide and has many nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, which gives an incredible sweetness to our agave, giving us a tequila with floral and sweet characteristics. Also, of course, the water we get here in Los Altos de Jalisco is different; in fact, it’s different in each distillery because each one has its own DNA from the water it uses,” he explained.
Five Beverage Tourist Routes
The launch of the Los Altos Tequila Route took place at Casa Sauza, at the twenty-seventh edition of the Brussels World Spirits Competition, which concludes this Friday, September 12th. The event is attended by the competition’s leading authorities and 150 international judges from 42 countries.
Secturjal is currently working on five beverage-related tourist routes. The Tequila Route, already established in the Agave Landscape area; the new Los Altos Tequila Route; the Raicilla Route, connecting 13 municipalities; and two wine routes are being developed in the Los Altos region, integrated with Mexican gastronomy.
Source: eleconomista
