How to become a tequila connoisseur for under $35.
My knowledge of tequila is very basic. I know that the kitchen staff at the pizza shop where I worked in San Diego loves Cazadores–you know, the one with the deer on the bottle. I also know that within seconds of ingesting the free shots of tequila handed out in Tijuana nightclubs my stomach seizes up into a void of emptiness.
Sure, I have had good tequila, well, I guess okay tequila before (nothing over $7 a shot). And like most hard alcohol, the better the quality, the smoother it seems to go down. But I’d like to know more about it, especially since I can import it myself directly from Mexico. (U.S. Customs allows one litre of tequila to be brought through the border crossing.) Unfortunately, the road to tequila connoisseurship is not a cheap one. Or is it?
For one weekend out of the year, you can become a connoisseur of tequila for as much as a bottle of the award winning El Agave Reposado Tequila ($32) costs at BevMo. Yes, you’ve heard me right. Each October, San Diego’s sultry sister to the south plays host to the Tijuana Tequila Festival and Expo, and for $30 you can grab a day tour from downtown San Diego to the expo on Avenida Revolucion. The price of the tour includes round trip transportation to the festival, two shots of free tequila on the ride down and expo admission, which equates to the free, unlimited sampling of more than 100 tequilas. And I’m willing to put money on the table that if you sample that much tequila, you will be–at least for the rest of the evening–one confident connoisseur.
But wait, didn’t you just say it was $32?
Good, you’re paying attention. Yes, I’ve budgeted in the extra $2 for the three for $1 street tacos that fill Tijuana’s corridors. Cut fresh from a rotating beef slab, these tacos are ideal for soaking up mediocre and cheap tequila, as for expensive tequila, well after spending an all-nighter enjoying the Tijuana nightlife, you’ll just have to let me know about that.
For more information about the Tequila Tour, you can check out the Tijuana Tequila Expo.
Editors note: We have not been on this tour, nor have we had any contact with this company. Beth and I just thought this sounded like a great deal, so we decided to share the information with our readers.
*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!
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(6) awesome folk have had something to say...
Erica -
May 29, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Oh God my stomach just turned reading this. I can do tequila in margaritas but the thought of just drinking it straight like that makes me sick thinking about it.
More power to you being able to be a connoisseur.
Bethany -
May 30, 2011 at 8:17 am
Tequila used to be the only shot I could do. Never fazed me but lately it’s gone south on me. hahah@Erica,
Bluegreen Kirk -
May 31, 2011 at 5:58 am
Never been a tequila person but if you love tequila this could be a great trip! $32 and you basically have tequila all day hopefully someone will be driving you home. I would also add a little more in the budget for tacos may $10 more dollars.
Bethany -
June 2, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Good point! There are amazing tacos in Tijuana where you can get 3 tacos for 1 dollar but maybe you want a lot more than three! 🙂@Bluegreen Kirk,
Josh Aggars -
June 1, 2011 at 1:48 pm
I need to live where you live! That is a fact. I love Mexico, the US and tequila. I need to be allowed to live on that border.
Some ideas for you Beth and Randy:
1) Set up an amazingly forward thinking technology company that becomes bigger than facebook, google and twitter combined. Use money made to fly me and my girlfriend over for 2 weeks to hang out with you on this tour. Dissolve company and give away all earnings to WWF, save the children and other.
2) Some point as point 1 but give away the earnings to me so I can reciprocate and fly over for the rolling cheese down a hill in Gloucestershire fest (although that happened this past weekend so will have to wait another year).
3) Do none of the above and I’ll just live vicareously through your writing and photography of said tour.
Answers by carrier pigeon please.
Bethany -
June 2, 2011 at 6:36 pm
hahaha! Kudos to you for the most imaginative comment I have ever had on here. 🙂 All those ideas sound pretty fabulous and if I do build up the biggest internet company I will fly you and your girl out and then we will all fly back together for the cheese rolling, which sounds pretty funny! My carrier pigeon is off duty tonight so hopefully this reply will suit you. 🙂@Josh Aggars,