Raicilla: what it is and what the agave spirit tastes like

What is it?

Raicilla is a traditional Mexican spirit made in the sierra and coast of Jalisco, as well as in part of Nayarit, from various wild and cultivated agaves, mainly Agave maximiliana (lechuguilla), A. inaequidens and A. valenciana. Its name comes from the small root that was extracted to prepare seedbeds during the conquest, although it is also attributed to a colonial ruse to avoid taxes: in the eighteenth century, producers called it raicilla to distinguish it from vino mezcal (tequila), which was taxed by the Crown. It has a Denomination of Origin granted in 2019 by the IMPI, which protects production in 16 Jalisco municipalities, 8 on the coast and 8 in the sierra. It has an alcohol content of 38–50% and a complex aromatic profile: fruity (with notes of pineapple, banana, red fruits), floral and mineral, with less smoky intensity than mezcal because it uses more controlled masonry ovens. Production is predominantly artisanal, with family distilleries (taberneros) that maintain trades passed down over generations.

Origin and history

Raicilla has documented production in Jalisco since the sixteenth century, when Spanish missionaries and miners introduced copper stills in areas with an agave-fermentation tradition among the Coca, Teco, Huichol (Wixárika) and Tepehuan peoples. During the colonial period and the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Jalisco producers named their spirits raicilla to evade the fiscal monopoly on vino mezcal (the future tequila), taxed by the Spanish Crown and, later, by the Mexican government. This fiscal clandestinity preserved unique traditional techniques, especially in the high sierra of Jalisco (Mascota, San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa) and on the coast (Tomatlán, Cabo Corrientes). Larousse Cocina, México Desconocido and gob.mx document the Denomination of Origin granted by the IMPI in 2019, which came after decades of lobbying by producers before the State and the INPI. Raicilla is regulated by NOM-243-SCFI, which establishes standards and distinguishes between sierra raicilla (more fruity and complex) and coastal raicilla (more mineral and herbaceous), reflecting very marked differences of terroir.

Characteristic ingredients

Raicilla is made from several agaves: Agave maximiliana (lechuguilla, the main one in the sierra), A. inaequidens (from the coast), A. valenciana, A. angustifolia and, to a lesser extent, A. rhodacantha. The hearts (of 30–60 kg) are cooked in masonry ovens (similar to the small ovens of traditional tequila) or, in some cases, in earthen ovens like mezcal, for 36–72 hours. Unlike mezcal, masonry ovens generate less smoke, which produces a more fruity and floral profile. After cooking, the hearts are crushed, fermented with wild yeasts for 5–10 days and distilled twice in copper stills or in 'filipinos' (stills made of a tree trunk and pot, an Asian legacy of the Manila Galleon). Studies at CUCBA-UdeG analyse its aromatic compounds: fruity esters, higher alcohols, floral terpenes and low levels of furfural. The Denomination of Origin regulation establishes blanco, reposado and añejo categories, similar to tequila. Brands such as La Venenosa, Estancia, Tierra Sirena, Hacienda Don Plutarco and Don Juan de Hijuelos produce premium raicilla for national and international markets.

Cultural significance

Raicilla is one of the most representative spirits of western Mexico and forms part of the dossier of Traditional Mexican Cuisine inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010, in addition to having its own Denomination of Origin since 2019. It is an identity drink of the sierra and coast of Jalisco, especially of municipalities such as Mascota, San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa de Allende, Atengo, Tomatlán and Cabo Corrientes. Its production supports more than 1,200 producers and rural communities of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, according to the Mexican Raicilla Promotion Council. Festivals such as the Raicilla Festival in Mascota, the International Raicilla Gathering in Puerto Vallarta and the Sierra Fair in San Sebastián celebrate raicilla culture each year. Researchers at CUCBA-UdeG and CIATEJ work on the genetic classification of Agave maximiliana and on sustainable harvesting. Premium brands such as La Venenosa have positioned raicilla in elite bars in New York, London and Tokyo, putting it on a par with Oaxacan mezcal and positioning Jalisco as the land of three agave spirits: tequila, raicilla and the mezcal of Amatitán.

Frequently asked questions

What does raicilla taste like?

Raicilla has a fruity, floral and mineral profile, less smoky than mezcal and more complex than tequila. Frequent notes are ripe pineapple, dominico banana, red fruits, white flowers, mountain herbs and a mineral undertone characteristic of the Jalisco terroir. Sierra raicilla is more fruity and complex; the coastal one more mineral and herbaceous, with marine notes and a characteristic citrus aftertaste.

What is the difference between raicilla and tequila?

Both are Jalisco agave spirits, but tequila is made exclusively with Agave tequilana Weber var. azul, in modern industrial ovens. Raicilla uses several wild agaves (A. maximiliana, A. inaequidens, A. valenciana), artisanal processes in masonry or earthen ovens, fermentation with wild yeasts and distillation in stills or 'filipinos'. Its profile is more complex, rustic and diverse than tequila's.

When did raicilla receive its Denomination of Origin?

Raicilla received its Denomination of Origin on 28 June 2019, granted by the IMPI and published in the Official Journal of the Federation. It protects production in 16 municipalities of Jalisco (8 in the sierra and 8 on the coast) and is regulated by NOM-243-SCFI. The Mexican Raicilla Promotion Council oversees compliance with the standards and grants official certification.

Where does raicilla come from?

Raicilla is native to Jalisco, specifically the high sierra (Mascota, San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa, Atengo) and the coast (Tomatlán, Cabo Corrientes, Puerto Vallarta). Its production dates back to the sixteenth century, linked to the colonial introduction of stills and to the indigenous Coca, Teco and Huichol (Wixárika) cultures. The term raicilla comes from an eighteenth-century fiscal ruse to evade taxes on vino mezcal.