Five Traditional Drinks of Mexico and the Magical Towns Where You Can Find Them

22.01.2024 - 22:25 / travelpulse.com / North America / Juan Antonio Oso Oseguera

Tequila and mezcal are drunk in a caballito, a special glass for these Mexican drinks. Pulque and tepache can be drunk in a beer mug, and aguas frescas (flavored fresh waters) in a traditional glass.

However, we invite you to visit the places where these five standard Mexican drinks are prepared.

Originally from the blue fields of Jalisco, tequila is one of the most typical traditional drinks and has brought worldwide fame to Mexico. It has become one of the great ambassadors of Mexican culture.

Considered by many to be one of the best manufactured alcoholic beverage in the world, tequila has a production process—with stringent quality standards—almost as interesting as its flavor.

Tequila is obtained from the fermentation with yeast and distillation of the blue agave juices from the cooking of the agave heads. These heads have between six and 10 years of maturation. Subsequently, they are placed in wooden barrels.

Tequila began to be produced in the mid-17th century in a hacienda called Cuisillo, and today, there are around 160 brands and 12 haciendas that make it, giving life to one of the most demanded Mexican products abroad, which has the prestigious label of denomination of origin.

The town where it was born bears its name and is a charming Magic Town that, among agave landscapes, mariachis, and provincial airs, keeps legends and the secret of this mystical drink. Visiting its quiet corners, you will find the National Tequila Museum, the Templo de la Purísima, the Quinta Sauza, and the extinguished Tequila Volcano.

In addition, as the production of this liquor is the area's main attraction, the Tequila Express Route was created, a train ride in which you can see archaeological sites, old mansions, and especially the beautiful fields where the agave is grown.

This legendary drink contains its unique taste and smells of the pre-Hispanic past, the tradition of a mestizo people, and an elaboration process that resembles a work of art. Undoubtedly, it is an authentic "gift from the gods."

The Mezcal Route in Guanajuato, Mexico. (photo via Guanajuato) ((photo via Guanajuato))

Legend has it that a thunderbolt struck an agave plant, opening and cooking its center. From afar, the natives perceived the penetrating aroma of the nectar that emanated and drank with fear the liquid, a gift from their deities.

Thus, according to the myth, mezcal was born, perhaps Mexico's second most representative drink, which received the connotation of "coming from heaven."

It was not until the 16th century (when the Spaniards introduced the distillation process, a legacy of the Arabs) that distilled alcohol began to be produced and drunk in Mexico. Among them, tequila, aguardiente, and mezcal stand out.

Mezcal is the most produced in