Beyond Tequila and Mezcal: More Boozy Wonders of the Agave Plant

You’ve heard of tequila and mezcal. But Mexico’s agave plant yields much more than these usual suspects. Much of it comes down to location: Mexican regulations have defined what can be called mezcal and what can be called tequila. The lesson here? You can’t stop someone from pit-roasting and fermenting agave hearts. They’ll just call it something else. Next time you’re south of the border, try some of the lesser-known stars.

BACANORA

Where it’s made: Sonora, just over the border from Arizona
What it tastes like: Earthy herbs, with a little smoke. Why? As with mezcal, distillers pit-roast the hearts of agave pacifica, a spiky plant that takes five years to mature.
One to try: Cielo Rojo Bacanora

RAICILLA

Where it’s made: Southwestern Jalisco near Puerto Vallarta
What it tastes like: Flowers. Raicilla is surprisingly light considering that it’s made, like mezcal, from the hearts of the agave plant. Locals called it raicilla, or little root, and described it as a medicinal drink so as to dodge taxes from the Spaniards in the colonial era. It was considered moonshine for a long time, but has recently been revived as a way to brand the local mezcal.
One to try: Raicilla La Venenosa

PULQUE

Where it’s made: Throughout central Mexico, especially in the highlands around Mexico City and Puebla.
What it tastes like: An alcoholic milk shake. Some are even flavored with fruit. Found nearly exclusively in Mexico, it gets its foamy thickness from fermented agave sap.
One to try: Any at the traditional pulque bars in Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi

BONUS NON-AGAVE MEXICAN BOOZE: SOTOL

This one’s an outlier, because it’s made from a plant called the sotol, or desert spoon, which is related to the yucca plant. It’s not made from agave.
Where it’s made: The northern states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango
What it tastes like: Grassy and earthy, without the smokiness of mezcal, because the plant isn’t pit-roasted.
One to try: Hacienda de Chihuahua

>>Next: The Rise of Mezcal: Great for Cocktails, Better for Oaxaca