Cold rain on the west coast, a large swath of the US buried under snow and frigid temperatures, who among us wouldn’t rather be in a warm and sunny locale?

Felisa Rogers goes deep into all things Puerto Vallarta and writes of a town that is far more than just a beach and port of call for cruise ships. And while it might seems random on our part, it’s not. We’ve been writing more about coastal Jalisco and how Puerto Vallarta is emerging as the gateway to raicilla country. But, what do we really know about Puerto Vallarta the town?

She talks history and how this little fishing village got on the map in the first place. She breaks down neighborhoods, taquerias, restaurants, hotels, and of course, how and where to experience agave. All of this is done through Felisa’s slightly irreverent perspective so you are definitely getting some off the beaten path suggestions! Who’s ready to go?

Also be sure to check out our newest addition to our 101 series - Pulque 101. Contributor Joahna Hernandez became our in house pulque expert after her piece on pulque semillas and this guide reinforces why. As she says in her intro “Pulque is not just a beverage; it is territory, soil, oral tradition, and daily practice. To truly understand it, you have to travel into pulque territory: walk the maguey fields, watch the raspado at dawn, taste aguamiel before it ferments, and understand the patience demanded by the plant and the tlachiquero.” Luckily there are tours for that (and more!)

You might have seen some recent headlines about 2025 alcohol sales put out by DISCUS (the Distilled Spirits Council of the US). Their more comprehensive numbers won’t be out till March but for the time being, sales were down in 2025, including sales for agave spirits which dropped 4.1% from 2024 numbers. The one bright spot in alcohol sales? RTDs continue to grow. Stay tuned for a more detailed look next week - there is a lot to sort through!

Finally, Mezcalistas is nothing without the community of mezcal appreciators that has grown since we wrote our first story in February of 2012. We are asking our incredible community to help support Mezcalistas in these challenging times for independent media - any little bit helps.

Saludos,

Susan & the Mezcalistas team

MEZCAL NEWS

MEZCAL EVENTS

• February 15th, Expo Bacanora, Hermosillo, Sonora

• February 28th, Mezcal Fest MX, Mexico City

• March 23rd, Mexico in a Bottle, Washington, DC 

• April 11th, Mexico in a Bottle, Tucson

• April 26th, Mexico in a Bottle, Chicago

• Save the dates: Mexico in a Bottle October 4th, San Diego, November 8th, San Francisco

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