Westin has mezcal tastings for those staying there
The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta happily enables people to gain insights into a distinctively Mexican alcohol. And that alcohol isn’t necessarily Mexico’s famed tequila.
The resort has mezcal tastings, with mezcal, like tequila, a product of the agave plant but noticeably different.
“Everybody does tequila tastings. We like to give mezcal attention,” says the resort’s MacGregor Gilchrist, one of those who informs visitors about mezcal. “That’s why we have this [tasting]. They [foreign guests] will have a little more knowledge of mezcal.”
Mezcal tends to be overshadowed by tequila outside Mexico but is extremely popular within the country.
Those who sign up for a tasting will experience different types of mezcal and instruction on how to best appreciate it.
The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta is found on what was once a coconut plantation, something that’s reflected in its still having hundreds of palm trees.
The greenery prompts marketing manager Mariana Carmona to state that, “We want people to breathe nature.”
The resort promotes a healthy lifestyle, Carmona adds.
Carmona adds that the resort is eager to promote its Mexican ambiance.
Carmona is also marketing manager for the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, which will become an all-inclusive in 2027. “We’re going to keep our quality but with an all-inclusive concept.”
Among resort features are swim-up rooms.
Carmona says some guests have been returning repeatedly, in some cases for decades. “They stay here because they feel like they’re at home,” she adds.
Being part of a well-known international chain serves the resort well, she continues.
Carmona says Puerto Vallarta — among other things known for the cobblestone streets found in its historic district — is “completely a Mexican destination.”
Meanwhile, GIlchrist says that people who opt for a mezcal tasting over one showcasing tequila shouldn’t feel that their experience wasn’t thoroughly Mexican.
“Mezcal is as Mexican as tequila,” he states.
