Mexico Is More Than Just Tequila And Margarita

When you think of Mexico, what comes to mind? Sun, glorious beaches, delicious food, vibrant colors, the sounds of a Mariachi band, vivid Frida Kahlo paintings, "Narcos,"... and margaritas! Cold, delicious margaritas! And maybe Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville playing in the background:  

Wastin' away again in Margaritaville

Searchin' for my long lost shaker of salt 

Salt, salt, salt

Tequila is obviously the spirit most synonymous with Mexico, and a margarita its best vessel. The margarita, like most iconic drinks, has a somewhat confusing origin story. And why wouldn’t anyone worth their reputation want to stake a claim at being the originator of what (as of 2008) is still the most ordered cocktail in the US (the martini is second, if you’re curious)! The margarita is a member of the ‘sour’ family of cocktails and is a simple enough concoction: tequila, triple sec liqueur (or Cointreau), and lime juice, served in a special margarita glass (coupette) or in an old-fashioned glass, with a rim of salt please. Sweet, salty, bitter, and sour—all flavors in one neat little drink. Ingenious! That’s probably why there are so many claims about its origin. Figuring out the origin story of the margarita is a bit like an excavation into a boozy cave filled with characters (including Rita Hayworth!), and we will certainly explore it in another piece soon.  

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But Mexico is much more than a margarita. Tequila sipped on its own or on the rocks is a delicious drink. It’s a bit unfortunate that its reputation has been sullied as a teenybopper shot-drink to get hammered quickly. We recommend that you try it – a little squeeze of lemon will also help, and we can guarantee it’s still a party even when sipped.  

But butbut... Mexico is also more than just tequila. It is home to an extraordinary variety of craft and artisanal spirits. Tequila is itself a derivative of an even older spirit from Mexico: mezcal. The distillation technology to produce mezcal from agave heart juice was first introduced from the coastal regions of what was then Nueva Galicia into the highland valleys including Tequila, among others, in the mid-1700s. The mezcal produced in these regions became distinctive enough to become known as "tequila" (after the town). Mezcal is gaining its own footing across the world now, but its origins are distinctly Mexican. The agave plant, from which mezcal and tequila are made, has always been a sacred plant in the native cultures and has had a significant place in their religion, ritual, mythology, and economy. While fermented drinks from agave, such as pulque, are pre-colonial, the distillation of agave heart juice into mezcal was introduced in the colonial era. Most of the world’s mezcal is still made in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Mezcal is such an integral part of Mexican culture that one saying goes "Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también; y si no hay remediolitro y medio" (For all bad, mezcal, and for all good, as well; and if there is no remedy, liter and a half.) 

Across the large country of Mexico, there are other spirits that have not yet made the global transition in a big way, but it’s only a matter of time. Take rum, for example. Did you know there is more rum produced in Mexico than there is in all of the Caribbean countries combined? Take Charanda, for example. A style of rum from the state of Michoacán, Charanda is fresh sugarcane fermented for 10-11 days, then blended with molasses. A distinct ‘funky’ drink, it is also an endangered one. Why? Cartels. Sugarcane from the central valley of the area, which is grown in unique, iron-rich soil, is essential for a charanda, but Michoacán is also where they grow avocados, and cartels have all but booted out other agriculture in the area! Rompope, a delicious Mexican rum-based eggnog- variant, is a combination of rum, milk, sugar, and egg yolks, and sometimes, vanilla, nutmeg, or cinnamon. 

Another less-heard-of spirit of Mexico is Pox, pronounced more like posh. An ancient Mayan spirit preserved by the Tzotzil people, it tastes somewhere between an unaged whiskey and a rum, and is produced exclusively in the southern state of Chiapas. Made originally from corn and cacao beans, it has since been produced using various other crops brought in by the Spaniards. Considering it’s Mexico, ritual and mysticism are not too far behind. "A traditional toast involves paying tribute to the Earth, sky, and to your neighbor to foster trust," says Conde Nast Traveler. "After the toast is made, you sip, swallow, and exhale to expel evil spirits and cleanse your heart as a form of healing." 

It doesn’t just end there: comiteco, sotol, varieties of añejo (a form of tequila), and bacanora are all prevalent Mexican spirits that are yet to make their presence felt globally. To say nothing, of course, of the rum-based coffee liqeur, Kahlua! Didn’t we say there was a strong rum tradition in Mexico? 

Whatever the iteration of the drink may be, the spirit of Mexico always shines through in these spirits: one of sheer, uninhibited fun.  

Salud!