Author: sotolsociety

It’s versatile and you can drink it in multiple ways:

–Neat – Savor its nuanced herbal, smoky, and earthy flavors by sipping it at room temperature.

–On the Rocks – A little ice can mellow its bold character while enhancing its smoothness.

–Cocktails – Swap sotol for tequila or mezcal in classic cocktails like margaritas, palomas, or old fashioneds for a new twist.

–Pairing – Complement sotol with grilled meats, aged cheeses, or spicy Mexican dishes to enhance its flavor profile.

Classic Sotol Ranch Water

A refreshing, effervescent highball popular in northern Mexico.

Ingredients:

–2 oz sotol

— ½ oz fresh lime juice

–Top with sparkling mineral water

–Ice & lime wedge

Directions:

Pour sotol and lime juice over ice in a tall glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a lime wedge.

Sotol Old Fashioned

A desert twist on the classic cocktail.

Ingredients:

–2 oz aged sotol

–1 sugar cube

–2 dashes Angostura bitters

–Orange peel

Directions:

Muddle the sugar and bitters, add sotol and ice, and stir. Garnish with an orange peel twist.

Traditional Indigenous Fermented Sotol 

Ingredients:

–1 liter fresh sotol juice 

–1 cup piloncillo (or brown sugar)

–1 cinnamon stick

–Wild yeast from the air or a small amount of previously fermented sotol

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and let ferment in a clay vessel for 3-5 days. Strain and enjoy chilled.

During the early 20th century, sotol was smuggled into the U.S. during prohibition by bootleggers. When it’s popularity became an embarrassment to the American government, their Mexican counterparts were pressured to criminalize its production, branding it an illicit moonshine. The industry suffered under harsh regulations, with distilleries burned and producers imprisoned.

Despite the crackdown, clandestine sotol production persisted in rural communities. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that sotol began a legal resurgence, culminating in its Denomination of Origin (DO) status in 2002, protecting it as an exclusive product of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango.

Sotol has been an integral part of the Indigenous cultures of northern Mexico, particularly the Raramuri (Tarahumara), Toboso, and Apache peoples. Long before European distillation methods arrived, Indigenous groups fermented sotol for ritual and medicinal purposes. The Tarahumara, known for their endurance running, used sotol-based beverages in ceremonies and celebrations.

Archaeological evidence suggests sotol consumption dates back at least 800 years, with ceramic fermentation vessels discovered in Chihuahua. Today, some Indigenous communities continue to produce sotol using traditional underground roasting pits and stone fermentation tanks.