If you’re looking to sip a fine raicilla cocktail and stare at the sea, you’ve come to the right place. Puerto Vallarta is a city heavily associated with drinking but, until recently, it wasn’t necessarily associated with discerning drinking. Fortunately for the booze nerds of the world, the city now has more to offer than blended margaritas made with rotgut tequila.
We’ve been doing on-the-ground research on where to drink in Puerto Vallarta for 28 years, and we’re happy to report that the options have expanded exponentially in the past decade. Puerto Vallarta mezcal bars are now a thing, as are bars with fantastic mezcal and raicilla cocktail menus, and even a dedicated raicilla bar! The city is also home to restaurants and pubs with good agave programs and world class mezcal and tequila tasting rooms. See below for a comprehensive list of bars with solid agave spirits menus–from a fabulously cool lesbian bar to the best Puerto Vallarta beach bar.
A word from the wise: If you stray close to the beach, downtown Puerto Vallarta is full of huckster “tasting rooms” that sell terrible, overpriced tequila. If anyone is aggressively trying to offer you a free tequila tasting, avoid at all costs.
We’re constantly updating these pages, so if you’ve discovered somewhere cool to drink mezcal in Puerto Vallarta, hit us up! If you’d like more detailed recommendations, check out these articles: Puerto Vallarta, Gateway to Raicilla, and 48 Hours in Puerto Vallarta. (Last updated June 28, 2026)
Savia Agave Niche
A fabulous little tasting room with a curated selection of tequila, mezcal, and raicilla. Owner Isis Hernández is a veteran of hospitality and a fun an knowledgeable guide through the realms of agave spirits.
- Website
- Phone #: +52 333 402-1445
- Address: Basilio Badillo 420 A, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, 48380, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
El Tasting Room
This downtown Puerto Vallarta mezcal bar has a giant selection of agave spirits and knowledgeable bartenders. They also offer private tequila and mezcal tastings.
- Website
- Phone #: +52 322 980 1217
- Address: Panama 134, 5 de Diciembre, 48350, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Chiro, Taberna de la Costa
A raicilla bar with a little something for anyone with a taste for coastal Jalisco. Chiro serves affordable beer, hosts DJs, and has excellent raicilla cocktails. They also have an associated tasting room where you can truly experience coastal raicilla.
- Website
- Phone #: +52 322 111 0667
- Address: C. España 310, Colonia Versalles, 48310, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
More Puerto Vallarta agave bars:
- Elixir – There’s now some stiff competition, but Elixir is still our pick for the best cocktail bar in Puerto Vallarta. Try their house raicilla cocktail. They also have a good selection of mezcal, raicilla, and tequilla. Owned by gay women.
- Vallarta Tequila Tastings – Owned by a pioneer of the Puerto Vallarta agave spirits scene, this well-appointed tasting room offers a considerable selection of raicilla, destilados, and tequila.
- Coco Machete – This cocktail bar in the trendy Versalles neighborhood has a pleasant ambiance, savvy bartenders, and an impressive selection of agave spirits.
- El Granero– Home base for the original Puerto Vallarta brew pub, El Granero has a surprisingly excellent selection of agave spirits.
- Joe Jack’s – A restaurant and bar in the Zona Romantica with a large collection of agave spirits. They also host private tequila tastings.