Sotol: will Mexican moonshine conquer the US?

Published September 25th, 2022

Step aside, tequila and mezcal. There’s a new – but actually very old – drink in town.

Sotol is a spirit made from the sotol plant (dasilyrion wheeleri), which grows in the deserts of northern Mexico as well as the southern US states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

The sotol plant is a close relative of the agave, and the beverage distilled from it has been gaining in popularity over the past several years on both sides of the border. Some industry experts claim the drink’s popularity will eventually surpass that of mezcal and tequila.

“Commercially speaking, it’s where mezcal was 10 years ago,” Ricardo Pico, Vice President of the Certifying Council of Sotol told BBC World. Notable for its clear pour, herbal, smooth taste, and easy drinkability, sotol has gained many new fans over the past several years. It can be consumed straight, but also makes a good base for cocktails.

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