From one of the world’s finest small-batch tequila producers comes a tasting experience that highlights two female innovators in Mexico’s drinking and dining space.

In the male-dominated world of Mexican spirits, all eyes turn to the leading lady of tequila: Bertha González Nieves.

Co-founder and CEO of ultra-premium sipping tequila Casa Dragones, Bertha González Nieves is the world’s first female Maestra Tequilera, or master tequila distiller as designated by the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters and the Tequila Regulatory Council.

González Nieves received the designation only after spending 12 years in the industry, meaning that every tequila you’ve ever sampled prior was crafted by a man. With the exception of Casa Dragones and a few emerging female-led brands like Mijenta Tequila, most tequila formulations are still made exclusively by men.

Now, González Nieves celebrates the debut of Casa Dragones’ new tequila-tasting experience and bar. A labor of love from the start, it comes to life with a one-of-a-kind cocktail and culinary collaboration with one of Mexico's coolest female chefs, Daniela Soto-Innes.

Lush landscapes are nourished by ocean breezes in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, where the Casa Dragones Palapa Bar by Rubra debuts as the brand’s first bar and tasting room outside of its home in San Miguel de Allende. Its location on the grounds of the W Punta de Mita is an integral part of its story. It sits inside the property's all-natural huerto, a carefully tended garden that feeds the menus at Soto-Innes' fresh new restaurant, Rubra, just steps away.

"We are very excited to introduce our first tasting room and bar outside of our home in San Miguel de Allende, and especially excited to work with Daniela on her incredible vision of a bar within a huerto," said González Nieves at the bar’s debut. "Partnering with Daniela [Soto-Innes] on the Palapa Bar gives us the opportunity to explore and create unique experiences with local ingredients and local talent to continue to seduce and enamor the tequila lover."

The huerto is more than just a magical destination for sipping spirits at golden hour. Part of the joy of the experience is touring the gardens, ducking around fruit-laden trees and bushes of fragrant herbs with their dedicated caretakers to hear about the space’s origins and expansion. Along the way, pick the herbs, fruits and flowers that form the base of each handcrafted cocktail.

"We decided to create el huerto not just to harvest ingredients, but to give energy back to the land that inspires us," said Soto-Innes. “It's our way of honoring Nayarit...we didn't just want to design a menu, but to cultivate a living experience, one that grows from the roots with respect and intention.”

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