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Have you always wanted to go on an insider’s tour 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 Durango’s mezcal country. The 5 day trip offers exclusive opportunities to visit 5 mezcal producers across this emerging mezcal region in an intimate group. We will enjoy Durango’s dramatic landscapes as we sip from the personal collections of the mezcaleros alongside regional snacks and cuisine.
Tour Information
It is an invaluable learning experience where everyone will have the chance to connect directly to mezcal culture, including the land, the people, the food and the history of the region. Accommodations are in a newly constructed spa and hotel adjacent to a distillery. Meals and snacks will cover the gastronomical range, from gorditas and Durango’s traditional cheeses to sit-down meals that showcase the flavors of this northern state. 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 Durango
Durango, a northern state located about 600 miles due south of El Paso, Texas, is one of Mexico’s largest but least populated states. It’s terrain is diverse, ranging from towering paddle cactus and jagged cliffs, which provided the desert backdrop for 1960s Hollywood westerns, to the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range, lush with pine and oak forests. It’s known for its cattle ranches, abundant minerals, and wide swaths of untouched nature. That abundant landscape lends itself to delicious mezcal. Durango’s biodiversity of agaves is one of the largest in the country, and elements like volcanic rock and the local mesquite and Encino oak used to cook the piñas influence the flavors as well. Production here is unique, and differs in some ways from other states.
The state’s mezcal history is often tied to its mining history, which began about four hundred years ago. It’s only until about five years ago that a mezcal wave began here – sprouting new distilleries and brands, and increasing its popularity in the colonial capital city’s bars and restaurants. Mezcal is now an increasingly popular way to showcase regional pride, especially when paired with other local specialties, like cheese from menonite communities and gorditas hot off the comal.
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 Durango is can be warm during the day and cold at night. In Febuary temperatures during the day range from 65-80 degrees, with it cooling off significantly to 30 -40 degrees at night.
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.
- Accomodations & Transportation: 42%
- Food & Bev: 20%
- Mezcal Producers: 20%
- Mezcalistas & Tour Guides: 18%
Next Durango 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 on Durango
Celebrante Mezcal: The Emergent Gem From Durango
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