‘Juárez in a bottle’: Mexican moonshine made with snakes resurfaces in US
Sotol has re-emerged in Mexico and across the border thanks to growing interest in authentic and ethically sourced spirits
When the US banned alcohol production and importation in 1920, spirits from Mexico began illegally crossing the border. Alongside mass quantities of tequila was the lesser-known sotol: a north Mexican moonshine with a similar flavor profile.
“We exported 300,000 liters during prohibition,” said Ricardo Pico, of the Chihuahua-based distillery Sotol Clande, who has spent years studying the drink. After prohibition, Pico said, the Mexican government – protecting the interests of large alcohol companies – embarked on a campaign to paint . Mexico criminalized the production of sotol, destroyed distilleries and imprisoned maestro sotol makers.
