Mexican Spirits You've Never Heard Of
Three agave-based imports are riding the wave of upscale tequilas and reinventing your favorite cocktails.
By: Carey Jones, Image: Jeremy Liebman
Bacanora, sotol, raicilla. Unless you’re from Sonora, Chihuahua, or Jalisco, where these spirits are produced, none of them should sound too familiar. But they will soon. Now that tequila has shed its spring-break rep, not only are drinkers acclimated to agave-based liquors, they’re looking for fresh options. And as the premium-tequila market has exploded, leading to high-volume production methods, they want what made it cool originally: its artisanal pedigree. Bacanora, sotol, and raicilla are “as handcrafted as you get: agave cut by hand, roasted in an earthen oven,” says Josh Wortman, spirits specialist at Martin Scott Wines in Lake Success, New York, which distributes Cielo Rojo bacanora. As these liquors make inroads in the U.S., bartenders have begun building cocktails around them. Below, a primer.
Sotol
Made for centuries, sotol comes from the desert spoon. To get geeky: This plant is technically classified as an agave relative, but you’ll always see sotol listed as an agave spirit.
The Endorsement
"It’s like you’re standing on moving ground," says Jay Schroeder, bar manager at Chicago’s Frontera Grill.
The One To Know
Ocho Cientos Sotol Blanco ($47; thewinecountry.com)
The Tasting Note
Smoky, with grassy and herbaceous scents
Bacanora
Production—legal production—was banned with a Prohibition-style “dry law” that was passed in 1915 and not fully amended until 1992.
The Endorsement
"There’s a very wild quality to it," says Salvation Taco beverage director Sam Anderson.
The One To Know
Cielo Rojo Bacanora Blanco ($60; drinkupny.com)
The Tasting Note
A balance of smoky and sweet, vegetal (like charred green peppers) and earthy
Raicilla
Raicilla is just now arriving in the U.S. Arik Torren, owner of Fidencio Mezcal, has spent years clearing legal hurdles to import his La Venenosa line, paving the way for other producers to follow.
The Endorsement
Torren’s black-label raicilla has citruslike acidity. “You’ll never find that in tequila,” he says.
The One To Know
La Venenosa (for more information, see facebook.com/lavenenosa.raicilla)
The Tasting Note
The flavors are all over the place: avocado, papaya, Gorgonzola, sweet chocolate, and cherry
Photographs: Stuart Tyson
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