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Pulque is a fermented drink made from the agave plant, with a low alcohol content and a tart flavor. It is difficult to obtain outside of Mexico due to its instability. The nectar is harvested from the Agave salmiana plant and fermented to produce the drink, which is often blended with fruit juices to make it more palatable. Pulque plays a role in traditional religions and is sold in pulqueiras, bars dedicated to its sale, traditionally limited to men.
Pulque, or octli, is a fermented drink made from the juice of the agave or maguey plant. Outside of Mexico, this drink can be difficult to obtain because it is not very stable. Most consumers are most familiar with tequila, another agave-based alcoholic beverage. Tequila is fermented and distilled to produce a strong alcohol, however, while pulque is more like a type of beer, with a relatively low alcohol content and a distinct tart flavor that results from the fermentation.
Agaves are succulents that are widely distributed in Mexico and the American Southwest. They are sometimes known as secular plants due to their infrequent flowering cycle. The stems of these flowers produce a sweet nectar which is harvested to make pulque. Most of the nectar used in beverage production comes from the Agave salmiana plant, which has been used as a source of nectar since Aztec times.
Pulque is fermented, not distilled. It was probably one of the first alcoholic beverages made in Central America, just as beers were made before liquor in other parts of the world. Pulque also plays a role in the traditional religions of Mexico and Central America, with the discovery of pulque attributed to Tepoztecatl, an Aztec god. Apparently the drink was also enjoyed by drunken gods, and some consumers sacrifice a small draft to the gods before drinking a glass of this traditional beverage.
The agave nectar used to make pulque is collected in large barrels over a period of weeks and then left to ferment. As soon as the fermentation process is complete, it’s ready to drink. The drink’s flavor changes rapidly once it’s fermented, so it can be difficult to obtain outside the regions that produce this traditional thick, slightly milky drink. Some producers have managed to pasteurize and are able to export their pulque, although most purists do not think this is an acceptable form.
The sour taste can make pulque an acquired taste. The drink is often blended with other ingredients to make it more palatable. When blended with fruit juices such as mango and pineapple, it is often sold as curado. In Mexico, it can be found for sale at pulqueiras, bars dedicated to the sale of pulque; traditionally, these establishments are limited to men.
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