Drinking Guide

Craft Beer & Mezcal Guide

Beyond tequila: Guadalajara's raicilla scene, mezcalerías, and the emerging craft beer movement. Specific bars, prices, and what to order.

Raicilla explainedBest mezcal barsCraft breweriesTasting cheat sheetPrices verified Mar 2026· 10 min read· Prices may vary

Raicilla — Jalisco's Secret Spirit

Raicilla is tequila's wilder cousin — a Jalisco-only agave spirit that was granted its own denomination of origin in 2019. Where tequila uses blue Weber agave, raicilla is made from agave maximiliana, agave inaequidens, or agave rhodacantha, giving it funkier, more complex flavors: think tropical fruit, smoke, earth, and flowers in the same sip.

Most people outside Jalisco have never heard of raicilla. That's changing fast, but for now it's still an insider's spirit — and GDL is the best place in the world to drink it.

Pare de Sufrir

Must See

Mezcalería / Raicilla bar Av. Chapultepec Sur 80–120 MXN per pour

The essential raicilla experience. 40+ raicillas and mezcals, knowledgeable bartenders, dark intimate space. Order a flight of 3 (~250 MXN) comparing a coastal raicilla (fruity), a mountain raicilla (smoky), and a mezcal to understand the spectrum. The bartenders here are educators, not just servers.

La Mezcalera

Worth It

Mezcalería 70–110 MXN per pour

Larger selection focused on mezcals from Oaxaca and Durango, plus Jalisco raicillas. More spacious than Pare de Sufrir, less intense. Good for groups. Their mezcal cocktails (120–160 MXN) are well-made if you want something mixed.

How to taste:Sip, don't shoot. Kiss the glass — exhale first, take a small sip, let it coat your palate, then exhale through your nose. The flavors develop over 10–15 seconds. Chase with orange slices and sal de gusano (worm salt) if offered, or sangrita (spicy tomato-orange chaser). Never lime and salt — that's for bad tequila.

Tequila bottles aging at a Jalisco distillery near Guadalajara — Jalisco produces all of Mexico's tequila — and raicilla is its best-kept secret

Tequila Tasting (Without Leaving the City)

La Tequila

Must See

Restaurant / Tequila bar Av. México 2830 250 MXN (3-pour flight)

The city's most extensive tequila list — hundreds of bottles. Order a tasting flight (blanco, reposado, añejo) for ~250 MXN and let the staff guide you. Pair with dinner for the full experience. This is the place to learn tequila if you're not doing the Tequila day trip.

Tequila cheat sheet:
Blanco/Plata:Unaged. Pure agave flavor. Best for understanding tequila's real character.
Reposado: 2–12 months in oak. Softer, vanilla notes. The versatile middle ground.
Añejo: 1–3 years in oak. Rich, complex, whiskey-like. Sipping tequila.
Extra Añejo: 3+ years. Premium category. Smooth, dark, expensive. Not always better — some lose agave character.

Neon-lit bar street on Guadalajara's Chapultepec avenue at night — The Chapultepec corridor is home to most of Guadalajara's best bars and taprooms

Craft Beer

GDL's craft beer scene is young but growing fast. A handful of local breweries compete with the industrial giants (Modelo, Pacífico), and the quality has improved dramatically in the last 5 years.

Cervecería Loba

Must See

Brewpub Av. Chapultepec Sur 11 80–110 MXN pints

The most convenient craft option — right on the Chapultepec strip. 6–8 rotating taps of their own brews. The IPA is solid, the stout is rich. Outdoor seating for people-watching. Good food menu.

Cervecería Minerva

Worth It

Brewery taproom Zapopan 70–100 MXN

GDL's OG craft brewery (est. 2003). Their Pale Ale is ubiquitous in the city. The taproom in Zapopan has 12+ rotating styles including seasonal and experimental brews you won't find in stores. Worth the Uber if beer is your thing.

Cervecería Fortuna

Worth It

Taproom 75–100 MXN

Smaller microbrewery with adventurous styles — barrel-aged, sour, fruit-infused. The taproom is casual and the brewers are often on-site and happy to chat (in Spanish). Less polished than Minerva, more craft-forward.

Craft beer price context:A craft pint in GDL (80–110 MXN / $5–6.50 USD) costs about what a Modelo costs in a US bar. You're drinking local craft at mass-market prices.

Craft beer taps at a Guadalajara microbrewery taproom — GDL's craft beer scene is young but growing — pints cost what mass-market beers cost in the US

Frequently Asked Questions

All are agave spirits. Tequila uses only blue Weber agave from specific regions. Mezcal can use any agave variety, mostly from Oaxaca. Raicilla is Jalisco-specific, using wild agave species. Flavor progression: tequila (cleanest) → raicilla (fruitiest) → mezcal (smokiest), though there's huge variation within each.

Pare de Sufrir. Order a flight of 3 (coastal, mountain, and one mezcal for comparison). The bartenders will explain everything. Budget 250 MXN for the flight.

If you enjoy craft beer, yes — Loba and Minerva are both good. But honestly, GDL's spirits scene (raicilla, mezcal, tequila) is far more unique. You can find good craft beer in many cities; you can only find raicilla in Jalisco.

Yes. Pare de Sufrir sells bottles. Also look for raicilla at Mercado Corona or specialty liquor stores in Colonia Americana. Bottles run 400-1,200 MXN. The same bottle would cost 2-3x in the US (if you can find it at all).