As you continue your journey through Mexican spirits, you may also be interested in exploring Sotol. The sotol plant was once incorrectly lumped in with agaves. Instead, it is derived from a “palm with long and thin leaves.” Sotol refers to both the plant and the spirit.

SOTOL Distilleries are called Vinatas. While tequila is known worldwide, Sotol is a connoisseur delight and one of Mexico´s best-kept secrets. It is an extraordinarily pure spirit with its own denomination of origin, highly valued for its rich flavors.

Unlike mezcal which is smoked in pits, Sotol is roasted in above-ground ovens for its smoky flavor. Sotol received a Mexican denomination of origin in 2004, restricting legal production to the northern states of Chihuahua (historically the epicenter of the spirit), Coahuila, and Durango.

Taste-wise, Sotol lands somewhere between tequila and smoky mezcals.

The categories of sotol are not dissimilar to those of tequila; there are three basic classifications:

• Plata or Puro – Un-aged, straight from distillation to the bottle.
• Reposado (rested) – Aged several months to a year.
• Añejo – Aged for at least one year