Private Tequila and Mezcal Tasting Session in Tulum

This two-hour session in Tulum is built around one thing: a close, guided look at how tequila and mezcal are made, tasted, and told apart. Rather than a large group event, it's run as a private tasting, with the pace and depth of the conversation shaped around the guests in the room. The person leading it is Juan Carlos Aceves, a professional bartender certified by the European Bartender School in New York and recognized as a Maestro by Jose Cuervo, and his background is what gives the session its structure — part history lesson, part hands-on tasting.

The session moves through the story of both spirits side by side, covering where they come from, how the agave is processed differently for each, and what separates a tequila's profile from a mezcal's smokier character. Rather than just pouring and moving on, the format is designed to walk guests through the reasoning behind each step of production before they taste the result, so the six pours that follow land with some context attached.

Guests work through three artisanal tequilas and three mezcals over the course of the tasting, each paired with small bites meant to complement the spirit in the glass — fruit, cheese, and, for the more adventurous, grasshoppers and crickets prepared as a pairing rather than a novelty. The session wraps with a tasting attendance certificate that includes a step-by-step guide, giving guests something to take home that reinforces what was covered rather than just the memory of the flavors.

Because it's run as a private, English-language session, it suits travelers who'd rather ask questions and go deep on a topic than sit through a scripted group presentation, and it works for a couple, a family, or a small circle of friends just as well as a solo traveler. It's listed as wheelchair accessible, open to service animals, and suitable for all physical fitness levels, which makes it a low-effort addition to a Tulum itinerary — though it's not recommended for pregnant travelers given the amount of alcohol involved. What sets it apart from a typical bar crawl or single-brand distillery visit is the pairing of two spirits side by side under one knowledgeable host, rather than sampling just one.

The tastings, the food pairings, and the certificate are all part of the package, and gratuities for the host are the one cost left outside of it, worth keeping in mind if you plan to tip for the session. No specific meeting point is listed for this experience, so guests should confirm pickup or venue details directly with the operator once booked. Beyond that, there's little to prepare in advance — the session is designed to be walked into with curiosity rather than any prior knowledge of tequila or mezcal.