Sotol
Sotol is a
It is produced in a manner similar to the more common artisanal mezcals of central Mexico.
History
The Indigenous People of the Chihuahuan Desert, such as the Jumano Pueblos and the Lipan Apache have made this traditional drink for centuries. Other Natives of Chihuahua, such as the Rarámuri, fermented sotol juice into a beer-like alcoholic beverage as early as 800 years ago.[1]
The beverage was illegal in Mexico until 1994, and it was granted a denomination of origin (DO) in 2002.[1] According to the DO authorized by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, Sotol can only be produced in Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango. In 2020 The United States refrained from recognizing Mexico's DO during the final drafting of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. This edit was made at the request of Texas Senator John Cornyn. Distilleries in Texas produce the spirit under the same name, to the chagrin of Mexican Sotoleros, the Mexican state and Federal governments, and their supporters. Accusations of unsustainable harvesting of the Dasylirion plants, and cultural appropriation are the principle criticisms. One Mexican sotolero stated “The Americans can make what they want, but they cannot call it sotol, Sotol belongs to us.”[3]
Production
The Desert Spoon takes approximately 15 - 25 years to mature and yields only one bottle of sotol per plant. It typically grows on rocky slopes in the
Types
Age classifications:
- Plata – Un-aged, straight from distillation to the bottle.
- Reposado (rested) – Aged several months to a year.
- Añejo – Aged for at least one year
References
- ^ a b "El boom del sotol, el licor que estuvo perseguido en México (y la polémica con los productores de Texas por quién puede elaborarlo)". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- doi:10.2307/209973.
- ^ Mintz 12, B. E. (2022-05-25). "Who's Allowed to Make Sotol?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "El Sotol". Vid Mexicana (in Spanish). 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
External links
- Reviews of several commercially produced brands of Sotol.
- Presence in American Market.