Cachasol: Nayarit’s Coolest Tequila Tour & Tasting Experience

If you’re looking for a cool day trip from Puerto Vallarta or Sayulita, I’ve got you covered. We recently spent an afternoon at Cachasol Tequila to see what all the buzz was about. We left full, a little tipsy, and seriously impressed.

This isn’t your average tequila tour.

It’s an agave experience.

If you’re last tequila tasting was in a fluorescent-lit tequila store with a salesperson pouring you a thimble of booze in a plastic shot glass, think again. A small-batch, sunshine-fueled agave project is here to blow your mind (and maybe your liver).

The vibe is something between a farm tour and a lazy afternoon with friends—where tequila and raicilla just happen to steal the spotlight.

But first things first. What the heck does “Cachasol” even mean? Turns out, it’s not just a fun word to say after a few margaritas.

Catching the Sun: The Meaning Behind Cachasol

So, what does Cachasol mean?

Literally, it means “catching the sun.” Because each agave plant spends seven years soaking up light before it becomes your next cocktail.

And what could be more vibey than catching the sun?

You’ll sip tequila made with beer yeast, taste raicilla cooked underground like a smoky agave barbecue, and snack on quesadillas in the middle of a sun-drenched agave field. And it’s one of the coolest new experiences to hit this coast.

It’s tucked away in the green hills of Nayarit. But it’s only about 15 minutes from Sayulita and under an hour and a half from Puerto Vallarta’s airport (PVR), making it an easy trip that feels worlds away.

The Man Behind This Nayarit Tequila Experience

Meet James Montero, aka Monty, a self-proclaimed spirits nerd who cut his teeth working with big names like Cuervo, Guinness, Don Julio and Dogfish Head before deciding to go rogue.

He grew up between the US and Mexico, so his connection to the country runs deep.

After years of creating brands in boardrooms, he wanted to change the game.

“There are a lot of tequila brands out there. Many are celebrity brands made in boardrooms, on PowerPoints. Or they’re super heritage brands that have been around forever. I wanted to create a fun brand that lives a lifestyle of this coastal Mexico,” states Monty.

He is a super chill guy wearing khaki shorts, a Cachasol polo, and a baseball cap. No pretenses. No airs. Just a guy with a passion who is balancing his thirst for agave with moving his wife and three kids to Mexico. No big deal.

His mission: make small-batch agave spirits that actually taste like where they come from—sun, sea, soil, and all. He wanted to create a place where guests could experience the magic of agave in its natural setting, worlds away from the mass-market tequila tours.

As someone who’s written about dozens of tequila tastings across Mexico, this one hits different.

The Setting: Think Winery, but with Tequila

Picture this: rows of spikey green agaves stretch across a sunlit hillside—about 3,000 of them. On the opposite swath of land, corn dries in the breeze, soon to be replaced by beans, a reminder that this is a working farm.

A massive shade tree, strung with basket lights, is hugged by a short wooden bar that wraps around its trunk. This serves as your first stop and first drink of the tour.

We started with a juicy red glass of rosemary-infused hibiscus agua fresca to be sure we were well hydrated. And then we chased it with a perfectly balanced, freshly made margarita.

It’s the perfect backdrop for you to take it all in. To breathe. Shake off the day. And to relish the raw beauty of your surroundings.  

Welcome to Cachasol.

This isn’t some slick corporate tasting room. It’s a farm. There’s dirt on your shoes, laughter in the air, and the smell of tortillas on the comal. The whole place feels peaceful, yet alive. Because it is.

Tequila Tasting in Nayarit: Sunshine in a Bottle

Even though Nayarit isn’t technically within the official tequila-producing zone, Monty’s team partners with a certified distillery in Jalisco to produce award-winning tequila. They snagged multiple awards before they even launched in the US.

• Double Gold at the 2025 Agavos Awards
• Double Gold at the 2025 Latin American Spirits Competition
• Gold at the 2025 San Francisco Spirits Competition

That’s huge for a brand that isn’t even a year old.

The secret sauce?

1. They source their agave from Nayarit, where the land is less industrialized and the plants grow more slowly and sweeter.

2. They ferment using IPA beer yeast, a nod to his brewing background. It adds this gentle citrus and tropical note that makes each sip feel like sunshine.

3. They skip the chill filtration process. Big brands use it to make spirits look crystal clear. But it also strips out flavor. Monty cares more about flavor and would rather risk it than filter out deliciousness.

No additives. No sweeteners. Just pure tequila, as it’s meant to be.

Raicilla: Tequila’s Funky, Coastal Cousin

Monty’s passion doesn’t end with tequila.

Since he can’t distill the tequila on site, he decided to take agave back to its roots and create raicilla (rye-SEE-ya).

If tequila is the smooth-talking cousin, raicilla is the wild one who shows up late, smells a bit smoky, and tells the best stories.

Cachasol’s raicilla is made using an ancestral method that’s part cooking, part community event, and part mad science.

Monty is all about the community. “When we cook, it’s a party. Neighbors, kids, everyone helps stack agaves. Two to three days later, we pull them out and have another party,” Monty adds.

They fill their fire pit with logs and hot stones, toss in agave pinas, then cover everything with palm leaves and soil. The fire dies down, the stones continue to cook, and they add water through a chimney, which adds a slight smokiness. A few days later, they dig it all up again.

We tried the cooked agave. It’s fibrous and juicy, with a taste similar to burnt caramel, a trace of anise, gentle smoke, and a subtle hint of honeyed sweetness.

After it’s cooked, they smash the hell out of it using a mazo (mallet) that looks right out of the Flintstones. Next, it is distilled in a hand-built adobe and wood still, staying true to the ancestral method.

The result? A clean, coastal style raicilla. It’s strong, yes. But balanced, smooth, and shockingly sippable.

To me, some raicillas have a funk about them. Think cheesy-feety vibes. It can be a challenge to get past. And that’s coming from someone who likes durian, the stinkiest fruit on the planet. But the Cachasol raicilla had none of that stinky feet funk. In fact, we bought a bottle because we liked it so much.

The Experience: Come for the Booze, Stay for the Vibe

The Cachasol tour runs about 90 minutes, but you’ll want to linger longer. And thankfully, they want you to.

• For 1,500 pesos, you get two drinks, tastings, and as much food as you can handle.
• 1,900 pesos includes open bar (for the “I regret nothing” crowd).

There are a few tours per day, but take the 5 pm slot. As the sun sets, the property emits this magical glow that you don’t want to miss.

It starts with a welcome drink at the tree bar (because how else should you start a tequila tasting?). We had the Skinny-ish and Delish Margarita, which is lime juice, Cointreau, Cachasol tequila blanco, and a splash of soda water for that dash of effervescence.

Then we strolled through the fields of agave. Monty walked us through the whole process—how agave grows, why yeast matters, what makes raicilla so special—and somehow keeps it all light, funny, and fascinating.

Then comes the tasting. You’ll try their Blanco tequila, their Epic Strength, and their raicilla side by side. They come paired with farm-to-table bites like zesty nopal salad, quesadillas oozing with cheese right off the comal, freshly made guacamole, and a shrimp broth that’s pure comfort in a cup.

Monty closed our night with a surprise cocktail made with homegrown purple basil syrup, Blanco tequila, and coffee served alongside a luscious corn cake and corn ice cream. Totally unique. Totally Cachasol.

Why You’ll Love This Agave Tour Near Sayulita

Because this isn’t a canned tequila tour. It’s a full-on, feel-it-in-your-bones affair.

Cachasol isn’t trying to be the biggest name in tequila. It’s trying to be your favorite afternoon. It’s the kind of thing that reminds you why you came to Mexico in the first place—to slow down, sip something special, and reset your soul.

It’s one of the most authentic agave experiences near Puerto Vallarta. And a must-do if you’re hunting for unique things to do in Nayarit.

Bottom Line: Go. Seriously.

If you’re in or around Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, or San Pancho, put Cachasol on your list. Book a tour, bring some friends (and maybe a driver, though Uber is available), and prepare to fall in love with agave spirits.

It’s the kind of place where you might show up for a 90-minute tour and end up staying all afternoon because the vibe is just that good. That’s exactly what we did, and we’d do it again. Hopefully soon.