What is Sotol?
The word“SOTOL” comes from the Nahuatl “Zotolin” which means Palm. In Chihuahua it is also called “Sereque” in Ralámuli Raicha, which means Desert Spoon.
Its botanical name is “DASYLIRION,” the word comes from the Greek and means “Leafy Lily” due to the abundance of its leaves.
Sotol is a spirit produced in northern Mexico from the extraction, cooking, crushing, fermentation and distillation of the Dasylirion plant.
It must be between 35 and 55 degrees of alcohol.
To be called sotol it must be produced in Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila.
It is regulated by NOM-159-SCFI-2004.
WHAT IS RIABLO?
The name comes from the Ralamuli Raisha pronunciation of the word “devil”; in certain Tarahumara communities the sound of the letter “d” does not exist or was added after the arrival of the Spaniards, so it is pronounced “Riablo”. This name was inspired by a game we played as children with friends who were members of this community, where we had to rescue a prisoner from the top of a pile of pasture guarded by the Riablo.
