The best tequila must age in wooden barrels for at least a year. Another grade must remain in the casks for at least two months. Increasingly, producers are marketing 100 percent agave tequila in expensive, hand-blown bottles. They hope to make the liquor sophisticated enough to cut into the premium market now dominated by fine whiskies and brandies. Producers slowly began to increase the varieties available and their quality.
Tequila is more than just something to put in margaritas or to drink as shots.
But aboard the Tequila Express, the up-market image is a long way off. The train reached the town and the excursion goers continued to sing when a bus carried them through the cobbled streets to the main square. The tour included traditional dancing and a trip to a museum that gives a glimpse of the drink's history. Behind the square stood the towering walls of distilleries owned by Cuervo and Sauza, the world's two biggest tequila makers. After the museum tour and a meal of traditional food and more tequila, the passengers board the train and begin their return journey.