By:
Michael McClellan, Director of Food & Beverage
Four days in Mexico's tequila country, a remarkable partnership with Código 1530, and a journey that turned a shared appreciation for tequila into something much more memorable.
There was a moment in Mexico when I stopped thinking about tequila.
We were sitting beneath an enormous tree in the middle of an agave field in Jalisco. The afternoon sun was settling over rows of silver-blue agave, a guitarist was playing beneath the branches, and somewhere nearby, a game of cornhole had gotten considerably more competitive than anyone expected.
A few hours earlier, we’d been blending tequila with a master distiller. Now a jimador was demonstrating how to harvest agave, cigars were being rolled by hand, barrels were being charred, and a very late lunch was cooking over an open fire.
Nearby, bartenders were pouring Código, members were painting ceramic tequila cups and others were enjoying everything from hat branding to games. There were horses, music and a beautifully set table beneath the tree. It was the kind of setting you might expect to find on a movie set, except everything was real, and somehow, it had all been put together for us.
The sun was dropping over the agave fields, turning everything gold, and on the opposite horizon, a full moon was rising.
I remember looking around at everyone, listening to the music and laughter, and thinking about how long we’d talked about making this trip happen. It was one of those moments you wish you could hold on to just a little longer.
And to think, the whole thing had started nearly four years earlier with a few conversations about tequila back home at Cordillera Ranch.
An Idea Worth Waiting For
When I first arrived at Cordillera Ranch, I discovered that quite a few members shared my appreciation for good tequila. Those conversations led to tastings, dinners and the idea of visiting where it was made.
Over the years, we’ve developed a wonderful relationship with Código and, more importantly, the people behind it. Last year, we hosted the Código team for a special dinner at the Club. Somewhere along the way, we got serious about something we’d been discussing for years.
Why don’t we just go to Mexico?
Not for a typical distillery tour, but to really experience Jalisco. Meet the people, walk the agave fields, learn how tequila is made, enjoy the food, and experience the traditions that make this part of Mexico so special.
Ricky and the Código team loved the idea, and over the following months, we began working together to create something memorable. What they ultimately put together was far beyond anything I had imagined.
On September 23, ten Cordillera Ranch couples, along with several friends, gathered at the Club for the beginning of our four-day adventure.
And we weren’t exactly sneaking out of town.
Mariachis were playing as everyone arrived for brunch. Our culinary team had prepared chilaquiles, carne asada, aguas frescas and more to get everyone in the Mexican spirit.
We even had an IV hydration bar. At the time, it seemed like a fun touch. Looking back, I think we probably should have considered booking it for the return trip as well.
Then came our first surprise. Each guest was presented with a guitar personally signed by GS. We hadn’t even left the Ranch, and the surprises had already begun.
From there, we boarded a coach for Million Air at San Antonio International Airport, where Katelyn with Flightime and the aviation team had everything ready. Sitting on the tarmac was our private jet, complete with the Cordillera Ranch C-Star displayed on the aircraft.
Before long, luggage was loaded, Código was being poured, and we were on our way.
¡Vámonos a Jalisco!
Good Tequila, Good Company and a Few Unexpected Adventures
When we landed in Guadalajara, the Código team were waiting to welcome us. We headed toward the city. We checked into the JW Marriott Guadalajara and gathered on the hotel’s upper-floor terrace, overlooking the city. Everyone settled in with cocktails and small bites before dinner.
That evening, Código hosted us at La Matera, a wonderful restaurant with an indoor-outdoor setting and a live-fire kitchen. Steaks, sea bass and vegetables were coming off the grill, and the bar featured an impressive selection of Código tequilas. A cigar roller was working nearby, and everyone was having a great time discovering new expressions, comparing favorites and enjoying the evening.
Dinner turned into nightcaps, which eventually turned into espresso martinis. By the time we called it a night, we’d been going for close to 14 hours.
And that was only day one.
The next morning, some went running, others made it to the gym, and a few wisely slept in. At breakfast, micheladas were gaining popularity as the unofficial morning beverage of the trip.
Our destination was Tlaquepaque, a colorful area filled with galleries, artisan shops and traditional Mexican craftsmanship. We spent time exploring before gathering for lunch at Casa Luna.
One featured dish was chile en nogada, finished with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds representing the Mexican flag. Each plate arrived with a numbered note telling the dish’s story. The numbers were already in the forty-thousands, which naturally led everyone to compare theirs.
There were also several guacamoles, including one made with chapulines, the roasted grasshoppers that are a traditional ingredient in parts of Mexico.
That particular dish gave Amanda Richie an idea. Without saying a word to the rest of us, she convinced a server to give her a handful of the grasshoppers to take along.
We wouldn’t discover exactly what she had in mind until the following morning.
By then, the group had started developing its own personality. We had three Amandas and three Mikes traveling together, which made things interesting. I’m still not sure how everyone kept the Amandas straight, but the Mikes eventually became Mike, Miguel and Miguelito.
That evening, we had dinner at Bruna, known for its gardens, artwork and architecture. We started with cocktails in the courtyard before dinner, and nobody was in a hurry for the evening to end.
Well, almost nobody.
After dinner, part of the group wisely decided it was time to head back to the hotel. The rest of us, about nine in total, apparently still had a little gas left in the tank and decided one more nightcap at a speakeasy sounded like a good idea.
We gathered for a group photograph. Looking at that picture later, I decided this particular bunch needed a name: the Aztec Warriors.
I had a little fun with AI, transforming our photograph into a group of Aztec warriors. The result was absolutely hilarious, and naturally, I had to share it. From that point on, the Aztec Warriors became a running joke. Apparently, surviving an extra nightcap in Guadalajara was enough to earn membership.
Little did we know, we’d be recruiting again the following evening.
Friday morning brought the answer to Amanda’s little surprise. Rich Radley was sitting down to breakfast when a few roasted grasshoppers made their appearance, right on top of his eggs. The look on his face was worth whatever effort she’d gone through to pull it off. Even Rich had to admit it was a pretty good move.
With breakfast behind us, it was time for the Código Barrel Room.
We arrived at the Código 1530 Barrel Room, where Ricky and Master Distiller Wilfrido Ortega were waiting to lead us through a tasting and blending experience. Six different expressions were arranged for us, and Wilfrido walked everyone through the details that make each one unique — the barrels, aging, blending and all the decisions that go into producing a finished tequila.
For years, we’d enjoyed Código back at Cordillera Ranch. Now we were sitting with the people who actually make it, learning about their craft firsthand.
Then the team turned the blending process over to us. Everyone had the opportunity to experiment with different expressions and create their own personal blend. Código had even prepared individual bottles engraved with each guest’s name, ready to hold their finished tequila.
Of course, a few members decided that one bottle wasn’t going to be enough. They wanted a barrel. Before long, several small groups were working with Wilfrido and the Código team on private barrel selections, discussing different blends and personalized labels.
We were supposed to move on to the distillery, but nobody wanted to leave. The team kept answering questions and helping members develop their selections. By the time we finally wrapped up, we were nearly three hours behind schedule. I don’t think Código could have received a better compliment.
We continued to Las Juntas distillery in Amatitán to see another side of tequila production.
What stood out to me was the pride everyone took in their work. Tequila may be enjoyed all over the world, but so much of what makes it special still comes down to the experience, knowledge and craftsmanship of the people who produce it.
But the best part of Friday was still ahead.
Under the Tree
The vans turned off the main road, and suddenly there was agave everywhere. Long rows of silver-blue plants stretched across the landscape, and in the distance stood an enormous tree, almost by itself in the middle of the fields.
Horses were waiting nearby. A guitarist was playing beneath the tree. There was a beautiful table set for our group, a cigar roller, a barrel-charring demonstration, a station where everyone could brand their own Código hats, and a live-fire Mexican barbecue.
And then there was the bar. Somebody had built a concrete bar that stretched roughly forty feet, with a dogleg at one end, right there in the middle of the agave fields. It had that wonderful open-air ranch feel, with bartenders pouring tequila and preparing cocktails while everyone wandered from one activity to another.
At one end, guests could paint and personalize ceramic tequila cups. I loved seeing everyone painting their cups to take home as reminders of the afternoon.
A jimador was demonstrating how agave is harvested, using his coa to remove the sharp leaves and reveal the piña at the center. Several members tried their hand at it, quickly discovering that there’s a lot more skill involved than it looks.
There were games going on throughout the afternoon, including a pretty competitive cornhole tournament. Others watched the barrel-charring demonstration, visited the cigar roller or branded their hats. Apparently, there was also some sort of tequila pong game that I managed to miss entirely.
One detail particularly impressed me from a hospitality standpoint. Código had custom-built a beautiful, fully equipped restroom facility right there in the agave field, complete with an attendant.
Now that’s somebody who understands hospitality.
The afternoon felt wonderfully relaxed. People were trying new things, sitting together and sharing stories. Ricardo “Ricky” Lona, Jerome, Wilfrido and the Código team were right there with us. They were sitting at the table, pouring tequila, answering questions, laughing and enjoying the afternoon alongside everyone else.
We weren’t being treated like customers on a tour. We were being welcomed into their world.
As the afternoon unfolded, some stayed near the music, others gathered around the bar, and a few moved between activities.
Then someone noticed the moon.
We had the sun setting on one side and the moon coming up on the other, with that enormous tree between them. The guitarist was still playing, our late lunch had become an afternoon feast, and everyone was scattered around the table and the grounds, talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves.
I’d spent years thinking about bringing members to Jalisco, and much of the previous year working with the Código team to make this trip happen. But standing there, looking around at everyone, I realized this had become something much bigger than a tequila trip.
Of course, after everything we’d experienced, I wouldn’t have put it past the Código team to have arranged the moon as well.
We finally left the agave fields later than planned and made our way into the town of Tequila. We checked into Las Ánimas and headed back out for dinner. By this point, most of us figured we’d seen just about everything Código could possibly have planned.
We were wrong.
We walked through the historic streets of Tequila and arrived at Hacienda El Centenario, a beautiful property with courtyards and gardens. Eventually, we were led into a small bullring, where mariachis began playing as everyone found a seat.
Then came the sound of hoofbeats. A charro entered the arena riding a magnificent Andalusian horse, moving through a performance of traditional Mexican horsemanship, roping and precision riding while the mariachis played.
The horse danced and turned, the music echoed through the courtyard, and for a few minutes, everyone just watched. It was an experience that could only have happened in Mexico, another reminder of the care taken to introduce us to Jalisco’s traditions.
Afterward, we gathered around one long table for dinner. A musician played traditional songs, food was passed family-style, and the stories from the previous few days seemed to get better every time someone told them.
Several times throughout the evening, I heard Chance and others say, “This might be the best day of my life.”
Later, Mike Kotze stood and offered a heartfelt toast to the group. It was one of those moments that brought everything into perspective.
I looked down the table and thought about the people sitting there. Some had known each other for years. Others had barely known each other when we left Cordillera Ranch on Wednesday morning. Now they were laughing together, sharing stories, and enjoying one another’s company like they’d been friends forever.
We eventually made our way back to the hotel for a nightcap overlooking the town of Tequila. Naturally, we decided there was room for a few more recruits.
I’m happy to report that our recruiting efforts were successful. I’m not sure that was necessarily a sign of good judgment, but it certainly made for another great evening.
La Familia
Saturday morning came a little too quickly.
As we prepared to leave Tequila and head back toward Guadalajara, we discovered one final logistical challenge. We’d arrived in Mexico with a reasonable amount of luggage. We were leaving with so much tequila that we needed another van just to help carry everything home. I suppose there are worse problems to have.
On the drive back, everyone was already retelling the stories. The signed guitars, Amanda’s grasshoppers, the Aztec Warriors, the barrel blending, the agave fields, the charro, the full moon.
But what happened after we got home might be my favorite part of the entire story. The group chat never really stopped. People were asking who was headed to the Club, when everyone could get together and what we ought to do next.
A few days later, during Gold Rush, I walked through the dining room and saw most of the Código group sitting together. They were laughing, telling stories, giving a few of the members who hadn’t gone a hard time about what they’d missed, and carrying on like the trip had never ended.
I couldn’t help but smile.
We spend a lot of time in hospitality talking about creating memorable experiences. We plan dinners, tastings, trips and events, and we work hard to make sure every detail is right.
And those details matter. Ricky Lona, Jerome Dupuis, Wilfrido Ortega and the entire Código team demonstrated that better than anyone. From personalized hotel-room gifts to engraved bottles, private tastings, incredible meals, music and surprises, their attention to detail was remarkable.
But what impressed me most wasn’t simply what they arranged. It was how they treated us. They welcomed us into their world, shared their traditions, introduced us to their people and made us feel less like visitors and more like family.
MORE THAN TEQUILA
Nearly four years ago, this journey began with a few conversations about tequila among members at Cordillera Ranch. Those conversations became tastings. The tastings became dinners. And eventually, those dinners took us all the way to Jalisco.
What I’ll remember most isn’t necessarily the tequila, although we certainly enjoyed plenty of it.
I’ll remember the laughter on the airplane, the jokes in the vans, the meals around those long tables, and that afternoon beneath an enormous tree with the sun setting on one side and the moon rising on the other.
And I’ll remember walking through the dining room back at Cordillera Ranch and seeing those same people together again, already making plans for their next gathering.
We went to Jalisco to experience its culture, traditions and the people behind the tequila.
We came home with a few more people we’d be happy to share a bottle with.
And that’s a pretty good trip in my book.
Michael McClellan is the Director of Food & Beverage at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at 830.336.9164 and mmcclellan@cordilleraranch.com.
