Tequila and the Rise of Sotol

Latin spirits are all the rage these days, and tequila started it all. While everyone else may have switched to seasonal drinks, Houston has seen 80 degrees five of the past six days. It still feels like spring here, and I’ve consequently had trouble shifting gears like I used to in Illinois. Texas seems to experience the same difficultly and has a tendency to remain one dimensional with its drinks. One drink that is, the Margarita.

The margarita; everyone makes them differently, and like some twisted unspoken competition, everyone makes theirs the best. This might be because it is a pretty hard to drink to mess up. Bragging about a margarita, unless it is something really interesting (hopefully my Mayahuel Fizz qualifies), is like a toddler showing off some scribbles in a coloring book. Sometimes, I just want tell these Tex-Mex restaurants, “That’s a pretty salted picture there honey, now can you please run along and get Daddy a nice Negroni.” But, I guess I’ll keep downing the “case-a-dillas” instead.

I’m not trying to say that the Margarita isn’t one of the greatest cocktails ever. I like a good ‘rita at the right time, but since I got back to Texas, I’ve definitely seen them far too often. However, the large quantities of tequila are always a welcome sighting. Unfortunately, because of the ethanol bloom and the resulting lack of mature agave, the tequila crisis is on the horizon. The rising demand caused by Texas’ never ending affair with the Margarita and an overall growing international respect for the spirit endures nevertheless, opening the door for substitutes for tequila. Mezcal has become a popular alternative, and many are realizing that while 100% blue agave is difficult to beat, a different flavor can be found when one removes their unfounded Mexican botanical bias.

One product to fit this description is Sotol, a spirit made from the Dasylirion Wheeleri, or Desert Spoon. The inhabitants of Chihuahua refer to the plant as Sotol, giving the spirit its name. The plant grows wild throughout Chihuahua and the surrounding Mexican states and into parts of Texas and New Mexico. The common saying in reference to mezcals and tequila is “all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila”. The same is true for Sotol. Some have labeled Sotol a mezcal, but when made exclusively from the Dasylirion Wheeleri, it becomes more. It is the state spirit of Chihuahua and has a flavor that distinguishes it beyond name.

One of the most interesting attributes of Sotol is the fact that it is made exclusively from a wild plant. Some mezcals and mixtos use wild plants, but these are generally last resorts and are usually used to supplement a lack of agave or produce an inferior product. Consequently, there really isn’t standard for comparison between quality wild harvested mezcals and those that aren’t. Still, Sotol producers contend that the difference contributes to a lively and optimal flavor.

Even with no standard for comparison, I’m buying the marketing claims. I recently picked up a bottle of Sotol for a private party I bartended as a substitute for tequila. The price point at eighteen dollars was within the party’s budget, and a reliable source had recommended it. I was a bit skeptical at first, because those same Texas bartender making the most outstanding margaritas in the world frequently discover today’s best new tequila as well, but this stuff was the real deal.

The brand I had was Hacienda de Chihuahua plata. It was similar to tequila, but a bit more herbal and subtle with an almost a smoky finish. There was a also a reposado and anejo availible, but for mixing, the plata was an obvious choice. I have read some reviews testifying to the quality of the reposado, and it certainly seems tempting for only two dollars more. Yet, I wonder if the aging might dominate the delicate herbal qualities. Only another bottle could definitively answer this question, so I guess I will just have to got to the store and pick up one more bottle of booze.

While some reviews on the product exist, I have been unable to find any reliable opinions on Sotol, so it would be nice to hear from anyone else who is up for a tequila alternative. Additionally, if anyone has had another brand of Sotol, such as Sotol Don Cuco, it would be nice to know if any similar qualities of the Hacienda can be found in these brands. If so, it might demonstrate a unique quality of the wild Sotol plants.

Texas loves it margaritas, but I am particularly interested in Sotol because of the fact that the plant grows wild in Texas as well, making a Texas Sotol a very real possibility. This might require some living and working in the abyss which is West Texas, or dare I say, Eastern New Mexico! But hey, maybe someone can bear it for the betterment of the rest of us. This is not a new idea, and I have seen at least one forum discussion about distilling it though it does not seem the conversation fully developed.

More than anything, I would just like to hear the opinions of others about Sotol. No, Texas readers, I don’t want it in a Margarita, even if you do call it a “Cadillac Margarita”. What the hell does that mean anyway? No wonder Texas has some of the worst cities for drunk driving. I am sure some Texan bartending expert is going to try and convince me that “The Cadillac Margarita” is a real cocktail which contains some magical ingredient, maybe even two, like Gran Gala and Gran Marnier, but don’t waste your breath. Just drink the stuff neat and appreciate how wonderful it can be with your industrial slushy machine. Everyone else outside of the Lone Star State, please be a source of clarity and get some Sotol. More objective opinions on Sotol are needed; they can be so hard to find here.