We have been here in Tenacatita for almost a week and heard from other cruisers if you contact a guy named Pancho (pictured here) he will drive you to a Raicilla distillery and give you a tour.
Raicilla is a distilled spirit originating in the south western part of the Mexican state of Jalisco. Like tequila and mezcal, it is a product of the agave plant. It’s made by the indigenous people of Mexico.
We contacted Pancho and he arranged to pick us up but, first we had to take our dinghy through the jungle estuary. That meant getting our dinghy through the surf onto the beach and because the tide was so low we had to then roll it to the estuary a short distance away.
We launched the dinghy in the estuary but had to be careful once we began our 45 minute journey because some areas were so shallow. A couple times at the mouth of the estuary Kevin had to jump out and drag the dinghy to deeper water. I was on watch for crocs! With many twists and turns and avoiding the tree branches because of the low tide, we made our way to the meeting spot. We drug the dinghy up onshore and tied it to a tree.
Pancho arrived in his old pick up with a canvas top and benches in the back. He knows very little English so we used Google Translator and a lot of pointing and hand gestures. He motioned for us to hop in the back of the truck and off we went. I commented to Kevin I hadn’t ridden in the back of a truck on a road since I was a kid!
Raicilla has a long history in Mexico as does Tequila. Each region of Mexico has its own name for distilled Agave liquor, After European colonization most of it was illegal to give European distilleries an economic advantage. Like the wine regions of France different varieties of Agave from different elevations and climates impart different characters to connoisseur’s pallet. Ageing in oak adds still more flavor and smooths the sharp edges of the liquor. Regardless of the legalities of Raicilla, Mescal and Tequilla it never stopped being produced in indigenous communities and now the Mexican government encourages craft distilleries and has rules in place to keep the production local using traditional methods. Raicilla has changed from “Mexican moonshine” to a craft Agave liquor. Since the gold Raicilla is aged in oak barrels, and they are very expensive, this distillery buys used barrels from Jose Cuervo. The silver Raicilla is aged in a stainless steel tank.
Pancho is the chairman of the Raicilla council certifying purity and craft production and can set up multi-day tours of the local villages and production of craft Raicilla in the area. We’re adding that to our agenda for next year!
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