A small desert town has a big reputation. Firstly, it has one of the highest density of cacti in the world. Secondly, locals use the fruit of one of those cactus to make a liqueur. Rumor has it that the drink can make you hallucinate, but this seems unlikely.
Several cactus wines exist in Mexico. One of these, locally known as nochocle, is made from the fruit of massive organ pipe cacti in southern Puebla state. The juice of the fruit is mixed with pulque and allowed to ferment for a day. Local belief says that the drink was once reserved for local royalty.
Pulque is made from agave sap throughout Central Mexico, but not all pulque is created equally. Some pulque is adulterated with things like cane liquor or prickly pear mucous. The best pulque is found in the countryside where it is made. And to test the quality of pulque, see if it makes a scorpion.
Mexican history suggests that the Clarisa nuns of Puebla invented rompope, a rum infused eggnog that is common throughout Mexico. But, when you visit Puebla, it is hard to find eggnog made by these nuns. Many commercial brands of eggnog have donned religious images to sell their products in reference to the history of the drink. Still, some nuns uphold the tradition.
Azulitos, blue vodka mixed drinks, have taken over cheap bars with young clientele across Mexico. The origin of the trend? It seems that Mexico City’s Tepito neighborhood, which is known for its extensive black market, resorted to selling creative alcoholic beverages during the COVID 19 Pandemic. Now, the market of Tepito has a variety of stands selling multicolored mixed drinks to partying shoppers.
Charanda is one of Mexico’s hidden spirits. The country used to be awash in sugar cane spirits, and charanda is a surviving example. It also has a denomination of origin protecting it as a unique product from the area surrounding Uruapan. But, looking a bit more closely, the spirit seems to have grown up under the guardianship of one family, in whose grip it still firmly sits.
A small town outside of the city of Colima has been dubbed a Pueblo Mágico by the Mexican Secretariat of Tourism. Part of the town’s magic stems from the culinary delights that it is known for, including alcoholic punch. Around town, over 30 shops sell homemade liqueurs flavored with fruits and nuts with bases of tequila, mezcal, whiskey, and rum. But how did this small town converge on one craft?
Chia drinks are common in Mexico and around the world, but chan, another seed similar to chia, has not made it big. In fact, chan and its derivative beverage, bate, are hyperlocal to the area directly around Colima city. The drink is made from ground, toasted seeds and has a gooey texture unlike anything else you have ever drunk.
When it gets hot out, Mexicans in Jalisco and Colima mix corn dough with brown sugar. The drink is called tejuino and is almost always served with ice, sugar, and lime juice. It is considered the ultimate afternoon thirst quencher. But the history of the drink comes from an indigenous and fermented past, one that is now distinct from the modern commercial refreshment.
In both Colima and Jalisco, locals mix raw milk from goats and cows with liquor, often tequila. The drink is commonly called leche caliente, but also carries a variety of names inspired by birds. It is strictly served at breakfast, when ranchers are milking their cows for the day. It is not meant to get you drunk, but it can cure a hangover. Just don’t drink too much raw milk. You might get sick.
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