Tequila Express Tequila Express The Tequila Express (or Tequila Train) is a Mexican regional train service that operates from Guadalajara, Jalisco, to the Tequila Herradura distillery at the San José del Refugio Hacienda in the municipality of Amatitán, Jalisco. Amatitán is approximately northwest of Guadalajara and southeast of the town of Tequila, Jalisco. The train service is so named because it features tequila tastings and transports its passengers through blue agave fields to the distillery in Amatitán and towards (but not into) the town of Tequila. The service began operating in 1997, concurrent with the elimination of general passenger rail service by
Tequila and 55% alcohol content (62 and 110 U.S. proof). Per U.S. law, tequila must contain at least 40% alcohol (80 U.S. proof) to be sold in the United States. Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila, which was not officially established until 1666. A fermented beverage from the agave plant known as pulque was consumed in pre-Columbian central Mexico before European contact. When the Spanish conquistadors ran out of their own brandy, they began to distill agave to produce one of North America's first indigenous distilled spirits. Some 80 years later,