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.
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