Pulque Tour Plus: Aguamiel Harvest in the Field with Zapotec Dinner

Even Oaxacans rarely if ever have an opportunity to accompany an indigenous family into the fields for the aguamiel harvest. And most, certainly of the middle classes, typically don’t ever have a chance to break bread with them. You do it all, learning about pulque first hand, assisting in the phases of production, and spending a couple of hours chatting, learning, eating and drinking, and listening to music, all right in their home alongside members of their family.

Our pulque tour for groups six or more begins with pick up from Oaxaca at 4 pm, then out to a village to be met by an indigenous Zapotec family of “tlachiqueros, ” in their home. We then head into the field in back of their pick-up for harvesting aguamiel (honey water), the juice which is derived from the majestic Agave americana. Aguamiel naturally interacts with environmental bacteria causing fermentation, forming pulque.

Assist in the harvest; sample aguamiel as it is extracted from the center of the agave. We tap several plants, walking between agaves, going from one to the next. Participate in each phase; removing the plants’ rudimentary cover, scooping out the aguamiel, scraping the well to induce further seepage over the ensuing hours, etc. We also sample pulque now and later in the home of our hosts.

At the homestead, wash up before drinks, dinner and song. There will be unlimited mezcal from different agave species. You can also imbibe dark or light Mexican beer.

Assist your hostess making tortillas by hand, and perhaps participate in dinner prep. Then sit down with our host family for a traditional Zapotec dinner, while imbibing and being serenaded with live music.


Sample Menu

• traditional local soup
• from a selection of traditional main courses
• nieve or flan or other dessert, with pastries of course

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.