It is no secret America is in love with agave spirits. They have become more mainstream than ever, and we are excited to see more producers coming into our market who are making spirits intentionally, ethically, and without additives (or, ahem, celebrities).
But more often than not, when we think of agave spirits from Mexico, we think of Tequila. It’s the most widely produced and exported Mexican spirit by a factor of 40, but it’s not the only agave spirit distilled in Mexico. Tequila’s success has paved the way and opened the gates for some of these other unique agave spirits to come to our market and we are here for it. We’re talking about Bacanora, Raicilla, and Sotol.
Bacanora is exclusive to the northern Mexican state of Sonora, sharing a name with the small village that sits at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. If you haven’t heard about this spirit, it’s probably because in 1915 the governor of Sonora banned production, and for 77 years it was illegal to distill. But of course, it was still made illegally in very small batches, and processes and recipes were handed down generation to generation in secret. In 1992, Bacanora legally resurfaced, and it’s been slowly making its way into our hearts ever since.
Bacanora is distilled with Agave Pacifica, which shares a scientific name with Espadín but is vastly different due to the Sonoran terrain that influences its flavor. Every bacanorero (bacanora distiller) makes their own style, either sticking to ancestral roots or opting for more modern production methods. Generally, it is softer on smoke than most mezcals, with an earthier profile than Tequila. A great choice for those who want to try a familiar agave from a different terroir.
On to Tequila’s cousin, Raicilla. It shares a home with Tequila in Jalisco (and one municipality in Nayarit, much to the disdain of the locals). It was known locally as “Mexican Moonshine” for its underground production style that originated with the Spanish colonizers implementing a heavy tax on all “piña distillates” in hopes of ramping up the popularity of Spanish brandies. In an effort to mislead the Spanish tax collectors, raicilleros would say they were distilling the “raicilla” or “root” of the agave plant (which is the piña, and the Spanish were none the wiser). In its resurgence in the early 2000s as a commercial spirit, it kept its tax-evading name.
Raicilla is made from agaves indigenous to the Jalisco region with one exception – Blue Weber agave. That agave is used exclusively for Tequila. Instead of the highlands or lowlands influencing flavor, you have coastal (raicilla de la costa) leaning more smoky and tropical or mountain (raicilla de la sierra) having more herbaceous and complex characteristics. This will also determine the type of agave that is used. It’s classified by its production style, with raicilla traditional ancestral being the most hands-on, highest-rated, and our preferred method of distilling agave period. The more traditional in production, the funkier and complex the flavors.
Finally, we couldn’t forget Sotol, a very popular distillate of Mexico but… surprise! Even though it looks like it belongs in the agave family, it is not an agave. Sotol is a shrub that is closer in relation to evergreens, lovingly called “desert spoon” because of the spoon shaped ends that can be roasted and chewed on much like an artichoke. It’s D.O. (denomination of origin) classification limits its production to the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango. The D.O. does not apply to sotol outside of Mexico so we are starting to see sotol pop up in the Southwest states of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico where it also grows wild.
While Sotol can take just as long to mature (6-20 years depending on the species, climate, and cultivation) there is an advantage over agave. The root (piña) does not need to be harvested like in agave spirits and, because it stays intact it can regrow and does not need to be replanted. It’s a more sustainably distilled spirit! Like mezcal the plant is roasted in ovens, but most Sotols are not smoky in flavor, more earthy and mineral-driven (think potting soil, wild!).
The spirits coming from Mexico are a love letter to the places they are made. Terroir is a word we usually associate with wine but it is just as prevalent in agave spirits. Whether you get something fruitier from the more mountainous regions of Mexico, or something more mineral driven from the deserts, Mexico’s unique landscapes and flora come together to produce something special in our glasses. And next time you’re thinking of buying a Tequila, try some of Mexico’s hidden spirit gems instead.
