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Have you always wanted to go on an insider’s trip to mezcal country, where you get to hang out with mezcaleros and their families while seeing the process from agave field to bottle?
Join us on a one of a kind adventure to the heart of Michoacan’s mezcal country. The 6 day trip offers exclusive opportunities to visit 5 mezcal producers across the different regions surrounding Morelia in an intimate group. We will enjoy the breathtaking countryside as we sip from the personal collections of the mezcaleros alongside Michoacan’s traditional cuisine.
Tour Information
It is an invaluable learning experience where everyone will have the chance to make a direct connection to the mezcal culture, including the land, the people, the food and the art of the region. Accommodations are in top rated hotels for complete comfort. Meals and snacks will cover the gastronomical range, from casual tacos and traditional snacks to multi-coursed meals that show off the new wave of Michoacana cuisine with mezcal pairings. Led by our experienced guides, Ferron & Tess who both grew up with Mexican culture and have insider’s knowledge of the region, little details that ensure your comfort throughout the trip are built into the experience.
About Michoacán
Michoacán is located in the central west part of Mexico. The name Michoacán derives from the Nahuatl word for “place of fisherman,” referring to the Lake Patzcuaro region, the state’s historic center for the indigenous group here. Michoacan’s natural bounty extends from remote beaches on the Pacific, to pine and oak forests in the North visited by the Monarchs each winter, and to the subtropical south, dominated by avocado orchards and tropical fruit trees. Morelia is the capital city, and probably one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas, constructed with its signature pink quarry stone that unifies the well-preserved colonial architecture.
Despite having a gorgeous and bustling capital city, Michoacán has always been an underdog destination when it comes to foreign tourism. Few people outside Mexico know that in 2010, when UNESCO deemed traditional Mexican cuisine a cultural treasure, it was Michoacán’s food traditions that were specifically praised, which hints to why the cuisine here is often called the soul food of Mexico. Much of that is due to the Purepecha communities who have preserved food and artesanía traditions in villages throughout the state. Some of Mexico’s most renowned artesanos working in copper, masks, ceramics and other materials are here.
Mezcal has long been part of the culture, and is increasingly popular at stylish restaurants and mezcalerias in Morelia. Like other states, much of mezcal production was abandoned for other agricultural industries and as families immigrated north. Still, the state is rich with vinatas, but only a tiny fraction of that mezcal is exported. It’s also home to charanda (a sugarcane distillate) that is now showing up in craft cocktails, triumphing over its past reputation as the working man’s drink.
What makes our tours special?
Small groups: traveling in intimate groups of 10-15 people allows us access to small communities, including private homes of mezcaleros, where everyone has a chance to form a personal connection with the families behind each mezcal. Our small group size also allows us to stay in boutique hotels that feature the charm and character of the region.
Experienced guides: Ferron & Tess, both bilingual, grew up with Mexican culture and have connections to the mezcal industry across Mexico for nearly a decade. Their strong relationships with producers and insider’s knowledge of the regions translate into access to exclusive mezcal, food, and crafts. Their experiences have prepared them to anticipate the needs and wants during mezcal adventures to provide ultimate comfort throughout the experience.
Detail oriented experience: From always having a cold drink in hand to reliable hot water for morning showers, this is a curated experience. While we will be exposed to the raw and rustic landscapes and culture of mezcal, our goal is to offer the best of all worlds so that everyone is free to enjoy themselves without worrying about logistics or comfort.
Weather
Weather in Michoacan is mostly temperate. In Morelia and surrounding areas, the summer is typically rainy, which can be inconvenient but it’s also incredibly lush. The warmest season is typically April-early June, but temps rarely go over the 80s. Likewise temps cool down in November-December, with it getting colder depending on altitude.
A few things to remember before you set out:
- You will be traveling in back-country, on bumpy roads and in communities that may not have a lot of resources or infrastructure (cell phone/internet coverage, restaurants, capacity to take credit cards, atms, etc.)
- It is important to be mindful of local customs, which your guide can explain, and to be respectful of people – they are craftsmen and highly skilled at what they do. The growth of the mezcal category has placed huge demands on natural resources in Mexico and is fundamentally changing the economics of communities where it is produced.
- As consumers, we need to think about the impact our drinking habits have – touring mezcal producing regions gives you greater understanding of that impact.
Tour Sign Up
COST PER PERSON: TBD
INCLUDES: Two hearty meals per day plus planned lighter meals/snacks, lodging, transportation, mezcal tastings and mezcalero fees.
EXCLUDES: Airfare, personal expenses or snacks, mezcal bottles to take home, travel insurance, or optional gratuity.
We believe in price transparency. We want everyone to feel confident spending their money and to see where it goes. Our mission is to bring business to the communities we visit to contribute to the local economy, supporting the culture that surrounds and makes mezcal possible. Below you can see a breakdown of how the money is spent.
- Accommodations & Transportation: 42%
- Food & Bev: 20%
- Mezcal Producers: 20%
- Mezcalistas & Tour Guides: 18%
Next Michoacan Mezcal Tour
Meet Your Tour Guides
Tess Rose Lampert
Tess is a New York based educator, writer and event producer. She has been a lifelong learner and lover of Mexican culture from her early days in elementary school where she learned fluent spanish through to her undergraduate work with Mayan glyphs and Mesoamerican mythology. She holds a Masters degree in Philosophy of Food & Beverage with a focus on wine, mezcal, chocolate and cheese. With over a decade in the beverage and hospitality industries she has specialized in agave spirits since 2012 and has traveled extensively throughout Mexico to get to know the people and communities that produce mezcal. For more information please visit PalateTrip.com and follow her on instagram @TessRose211.
Ferron Salniker
Ferron Salniker is a food journalist and event producer dedicated to connecting people through the celebration of food. As the Mezcalistas’ Event Manager she produces Mexico in a Bottle, the biggest and baddest mezcal tasting event in the country. As a journalist Ferron focuses on Mexico and California, and her reporting has appeared in Munchies, Roads & Kingdoms, VinePair, Whetstone and other local and international publications. Ferron lived in Merida, Yucatan and her family moved to Michoacán over 10 years ago, where she has been visiting ever since. She has a degree in Spanish and Journalism. Follow her at ferronlandia.com and @ferronlandia.
Articles about Michoacan
DIY terroir tasting: Michoacan
I always recommend getting to know the mezcal of a region through its main variety before extending into blends and other varieties. Keeping the variety consistent allows other differences to shine, like microclimates and production methods, ultimately providing a more educational tasting. In Michoacan the main species is…
Demystifying charanda, a notable Mexican rum
On our last trip to Michoacan we were lucky enough to spend an afternoon with proprietor siblings Miriam and Fernando Pacheco, as well as importer William Scanlan, of Charanda Uruapan. From walking the cane fields, to getting up close and personal with antique equipment and conversation as extensive…
Continue Reading Demystifying charanda, a notable Mexican rum
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