There is a good chance you’ve spent most of your life only enjoying the Mexican spirits of Tequila and Mezcal, especially in the U.S. But what’s been slowly coming to more people’s attention in the international community of fine distillery beverages is sotol.

I never even knew about this traditional spirit until I came to the state of Chihuahua and toured the Casa Ruelas Distillery in the small town of Aldama. I imagined it would be similar to visiting a whiskey or bourbon distillery in the U.S. or Europe. But I didn’t find a state-of-the-art facility with all the bells and whistles; I found an outdoor, rural setting in the countryside, with roaming dogs included. Yet this is one of the top sotol brands in the world, exporting to 20 countries and counting, and receiving numerous awards recognizing its talent.

This sotol has a well-established history as an artisanal product, owned and operated by a single family for generations. While one brother runs the business side of things, the other brother is a Master Distiller, or commonly known in these parts as the Maestro Sotolero. With a staff of 15, it is a lot of work for such a small team. The employees are generational as well, from the town, with additional members brought on during cutting and seasonal work. It sometimes feels more like a community operation than a business.

The 3 Types of Sotol

Industrial Sotol

It’s exactly what you expect. Stainless steel and machinery are doing almost all of the work. The focus is on scale, speed, and efficiency in their production and distribution. And no one is saying it’s bad. Beginners looking to try sotol for the first time and want something a little smoother usually choose an industrial brand. But you can notice differences in the flavor profile when comparing it to traditional methods.

Artisanal Sotol

Casa Ruelas focuses its efforts on the artisanal process of distilling and producing sotol, which we’ll discuss further down in this article. It’s tied to the region’s traditions and culture. While there is some concern about competition with the industrial sotol, there will always be a niche market for those who want a little more authenticity in their drink or follow the brand philosophy.

Ancestral Sotol

While the ancient ways produce what some consider the top-shelf brand, it’s mostly only enjoyed for personal use. That’s because it’s fermented in leather rather than wood or metal before being distilled in clay. The result is smaller batches of sotol. In a market constantly seeking greater public recognition, this kind of premium craftsmanship will attract some high-end buyers but is usually presented to the hard-working staff and community at one of their annual celebrations.

Learning the Sotol Process

Gathering the Plant

The first step is gathering the sotol plant, known as the Sereque. It’s part of the extensive plant genus Dasylirion. Growing wild in the arid desert and rocky mountainous region, only plants with a maturity of 18-40 years are wild-harvested. It takes 10-12 kilos of the plant to make a liter of sotol, and the distillery produces 30,000 liters a month. Casa Ruelas has been a forerunner in sustainable efforts here, leaving the roots intact and planting to avoid overharvesting.

Cooking the Heart

Once they have been pulled, the outer leaves and husk are removed to reveal the heart, or core of the plant. Even after excess is removed, they can weigh 30-50 pounds. They are then packed into the underground cook pit to caramelize the plant and concentrate the heat for proper cooking.

This distillery prefers to use local pecan trees for its firewood, while others use oak or mesquite instead, as it helps give the aroma particular hints. The hearts are covered and left in the pit for up to three days to soften them for the next step: breaking them apart with various sharpened tools, such as axes and machetes, to help extract the fibers and juices.

Wild Fermentation

What makes sotol unique is its all-natural fermentation process, which uses microbes and bacteria. They don’t purchase basic yeast from a factory and add it to the open-air vats. The wild yeast is naturally occurring and involves the plant, air conditions, and the desert environment. It’s where the drink gets its layered flavoring of herbal, earthy tastes and mineral notes, the floral aroma, and a smoky bite.

But since it’s naturally occurring, it requires even more supervision, since you have less control over how it all comes together than when following a recipe. This part of the process can take 3 to 10 days, turning the mash into a beer. There is a chance that everything did not mesh well, and suddenly the whole batch might be off balance, even by a small percentage. It’s not something you can replicate in an industrial site, which is where the life-long experience and knowledge of the sotoleros come in. They will know precisely what is needed to bring it all together, ideally.

Double Distillation

Now that the mash has sat in the barrels, it’s wheelbarrowed over to the distillation area and tossed in. Using the same woods as the previous underground pit for caramelizing, the copper stills are used to refine and concentrate the alcohol.

Bottling, Aging, and Burying

This is the final step of the entire process. Most of the sotol, once finished, is immediately bottled and ready for distribution. But other methods of aging are sometimes used as an alternative. Some batches are placed in crafted oak barrels, similar to those used for different spirits. They can stay in the warehouse for a few months to several years. Yet the most interesting one was explained during the walking tour at the beginning.

While sotol may have been in production for the last several hundred years, it wasn’t legalized for production and commercialization until 2002. So it had to be hidden from prying eyes. Part of sotol’s history, now turned tradition, was that graves would be dug to hide the bottles (prohibition-style). Maturing underground in bottles, the notes become even stronger. Now this has become a local celebration when the bottles are ready to be dug up and distributed.

The Sotol Tasting

You finish the tour in a small tasting room where you’ll be able to sample several brands, from their best-selling options to more unique shelf items with higher alcohol content. There is a whole process of salivating your mouth and tongue before sipping to register every part of the sotol.

Comparing it to mezcal and tequila, which tend to be sweeter and smokier, it’s going to be more earthy in taste but smooth, with a crispier finish. It’s definitely complex with a lighter sweetness that is barely noticeable if you are looking for it. I, for one, who is not an expert, enjoyed the samples but could only really notice the herbs and earthy-mineral tastes with every sip.

What Else You Need to Know Before Purchasing Sotol

Check the Denomination of Origin (DO)

Sotol is considered authentic by the Mexican government only if it has the Denomination of Origin from one of three Mexican states: Chihuahua, Coahuila, or Durango. While others who produce in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona may call it sotol, given its many similarities in production, flavor notes, and aromas, it’s not recognized in Mexico.

Only those who follow the guidelines set down can legally place a sotol label on the bottle. It’s all about protecting indigenous culture, regional identity, and independent owners from exploitation by neighbors, even in a competitive market.

If we are going by the uniqueness that each state brings to sotol, there are some noticeable differences. Durango is better known for its sotol, which is smokier than that of other regions. This is due in part to volcanic soils, which bring even more intense mineral flavors to the process. Coahuila is a balance between the two, as it has a drier climate, which results in faster fermentation and lighter notes from the plants and minerals.

What Goes Well With Sotol

Whether you are mixing cocktails, pairing with food, or simply drinking it neat or on the rocks, there is plenty you can do with a bottle of sotol.

Sotol can be paired with Chihuahua food elements such as pecan nuts, Mennonite cheese, marmalade-type paste with cheese on top, and apples. Others like it with grilled meats and fresh seafood, as the smoky flavor pairs well with carne asada and birria, while the earthy and herbal notes can be a perfect match with a nice ceviche or shrimp.

For a cocktail, pineapple, citrus, and grapefruit add extra sweetness. Replace the tequila with a margarita or a martini with gin, and you will be surprised by the noticeable difference. Add in other garnishes like cucumber, mint, or basil if you are having it neat for some extra herbal flavor notes. You want to bring out that wild desert spirit in your drinks.

Conclusion

This was an experience I found very informative and unique to the state of Chihuahua. Especially as they continue to hold onto their roots and their refusal to change, which is why their continued popularity and place in the international community are so well known. The only drawback is that this place is not as well-known as distilleries and breweries in other countries, which have a steady flow of visitors and a larger market share. But I recommend visiting if you are passing through this way to understand the life and culture of Chihuahua and the sotoleros.