Although Sotol is found in the category ‘agave spirits’ it is in fact not even related to agaves but in its taxonomy shares the same family of Asparagaceae.
It’s identity has always been mistaken until the mid 90s because the plant has stricking similarities in its behaviour, growth and looks. Sotol is made from Dasylirion Wheeleri, a desert spoon and takes its name from the Nahuatl word ‘Tzotolin’, which means ‘palm with long and thin leaves’.
Dasylirion grow in many places in Mexico, however, due to its own Denomination of Origin, is only allowed to be produced in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango. There are approx. 15 different species of Dasylirion and 5 varietals. Terroir, as with all agave spirits, has a huge impact on the flavour of the Sotol. One saying goes: “Sotol gives you what it feeds on” referring of course to its natural environment. A whole or sometimes 2 Dasylirion plants must be used to produce only 1 bottle of Sotol.
The production of Sotol is exactly as it is for Artisan or Ancestral Mezcal. According to a historian at the Universidad Autonomme de Ciudad Juarez called Jesus Vargas, indigenous people drank a beverage made from cooked and fermented Sotol hearts. They would drink it during religious ceremonies and would even eat the cooked pina, as it is said that the plant holds medicinal properties. To this day people use Sotol infusions with marijuana to ease anxiety, snakes to cure headaches or on its own to aid digestion. Through centuries of cultural suppression Sotol was long considered the poor mans drink. Sotol became illegal after the Spanish conquisition and Sotoleros were persecuted, only in the early 90s were the laws against Sotol lifted and legalised.
The history of mezcal is a bit sketchy at the best of times and the same goes for Sotol. According to a historian at the Universidad Autonomme de Ciudad Juarez called Jesus Vargas, indigenous people drank a beverage made from cooked and fermented Sotol hearts. They would drink it during religious ceremonies and would even eat the cooked pina, as it is said that the plant holds medicinal properties (you won’t see me arguing that!)
To this day people use Sotol infusions with marijuana to ease anxiety, snakes to cure headaches (and hangovers), or on its own for digestion.
Through centuries of cultural suppression Sotol was long considered the poor mans drink, as the elite would prefer European spirits. Sotol even became illegal and sotoleros were persecuted. It is argued that the government was enforcing anti-booze laws, when it is argued that they were simply protecting the economic interest of European spirits.
As a result Sotol was pushed further underground and it wasn’t until the 90’s that the first permits were issued for the legal production of Sotol.
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