A Mexican cultural experience to remember

Yesterday, we took the RV caravan group up into the remote mountains of Jalisco, Mexico to see something that very few tourists ever get to experience.

Ruth and I had been up to this traditional family mescal distillery twice before. The owner, Don Jesus and his sons have been very welcoming to our groups in the past, and so we asked Barb and Sal if they could arrange for us to visit again and this time take the RV caravan group up there with us.

Mescal is different from tequila in that the drink is made from the fermentaion and distillation of the maguey plant, rather than the agave plant.

The agave plant takes 5-7 years to mature enough for harvest, while they maguey plant takes 20-22 years. The maguey plant is also much larger.

They still use the rock wheel and a mule to crush the maguey hearts.

He has tried a mechanical process (the orange machine in the background), but he says the mule and the round rock still does a better job.

The volcanic rock oven pit where the maguay plant core is baked.

Don Jesus is now 71 years old and his family has been making mescal as long as he can remember. His father and his grandfather both also made mescal here on the family land, and he thinks that production goes back around 200 years. They still employ exactly the same techniques that were passed from generation to generation.

The fermented maguay hearts are ready to be transferred to the still.

A few years ago, a group of Japanese businessmen arrived at the facility. Don't ask me how they found out about it! But they wanted to purchase his complete annual production of about 4,000 litres per year. Don Jesus turned them down, saying that he produces mescal only for his friends and neighbors, and that it would remain that way. He supplies many people in the mountains and villages.

There are six stills operating. Exactly the same way for 200 years!

Don Jesus, with Ruth.

Quite a few of our group bought a litre or two.

 They pour it out into any container you brought with you. The price has gone up a little from when we were there a few years ago. It's up to 200 pesos ($15.70 CAD) per litre. We bought a litre so that Ruth's cousin Helen and her husband Tony could try it when we see them at the end of this month.

Somewhere in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. Don Jesus and his family own much of the land that you see here. What a beautiful area.

Once again, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the visit. We think that it's one of the most authentic things we've ever experienced in Mexico and we're so glad that we were able to show it to this group.

In the evening, we had everybody over to our place for happy hour. Friends Heinz and Ulli, and Paula and Jerry, and Doug and Nancy, and of course Barb and Sal were there as well. Just like old times at Hacienda Contreras!

Sherman and the sunset at Hacienda Contreras.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deal of the day at Amazon.com...

Winter is not over yet!

And in Canada...

2016 Calendars at 75% off