🥃 Raicilla
Mexican 100% agave spirit from 16 municipalities of Jalisco and one of Nayarit: blue agave is banned, 35-55% ABV, designation of origin since 2019.
Raicilla is a Mexican spirit made from 100% agave in western Jalisco state and one municipality of Nayarit. Blue agave is banned for it: other species are used, including Agave maximiliana, inaequidens, valenciana, angustifolia and rhodacantha. Its strength is 35-55% ABV. The designation of origin has applied since 2019.
Mountains and coast. The declaration distinguishes raicilla de la sierra, made from maximiliana, inaequidens and valenciana, from raicilla de la costa, made from angustifolia and rhodacantha. The area covers 16 municipalities of Jalisco, including Mascota, Talpa de Allende, San Sebastián del Oeste and Puerto Vallarta, and Bahía de Banderas in Nayarit.
How it is made. Mature agave hearts are cut, baked, shredded, fermented and distilled. The Raicilla category allows ovens, autoclaves, mills and copper or steel stills; Artesanal means fire, hand shredding and stills up to 500 litres; Tradición Ancestral means clay pots over a wood fire, with agave fibre present during fermentation and distillation. It is made as blanco or aged in glass or wood.
Name. The origin of the word, which means little root, is not known for certain. A popular version says the spirit got its name to get around colonial bans on agave drinks. It cannot be called tequila, because it is not made from blue agave, nor mezcal, because the region lies outside the mezcal zone. Local records from San Sebastián del Oeste date to the 1890s.
Why it matters to you. Craft batches can reach 55% ABV, so check the strength on the label. The name guarantees the place and the agave, not safety. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | IMPI declaration on the designation of origin "Raicilla", DOF 28.06.2019 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | 100% agave (maximiliana, inaequidens, valenciana, angustifolia, rhodacantha and others), no blue agave |
| Distillation method | copper or steel stills; artesanal up to 500 l over fire; ancestral clay pots |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 35-55% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Raicilla → kind of → 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans
- Part of
- 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal
- Related to
- 🥃 Jalisco
- Similar and different
- 🌵 Mezcal, 🌵 Tequila, 🥃 Blue agave, 🥃 Sotol
Frequently asked questions
Is raicilla a type of tequila?
No. Tequila is made only from blue agave, which is banned for raicilla; raicilla is a separate designation of origin since 2019.
Which agaves are used for raicilla?
Raicilla de la sierra uses Agave maximiliana, inaequidens and valenciana; raicilla de la costa uses angustifolia and rhodacantha; other species are possible, except blue agave.
What is the ABV of raicilla?
Between 35 and 55% ABV according to the designation of origin declaration.
Where is raicilla made?
In 16 municipalities in western Jalisco, such as Mascota or Puerto Vallarta, and in Bahía de Banderas in Nayarit.
What does the word raicilla mean?
Roughly "little root". The origin of the name is not known for certain; a popular version links it to getting around colonial bans on agave drinks.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans — People of Mexico; Oaxaca cheese is the country's best-selling cheese, cajeta is made from goat's milk, and 2023 milk output topped 13 billion litres.
- 🥃 Sotol — Mexican distillate from the heart of the Dasylirion plant, not agave: designation of origin since 2002, strength 35–55% ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Bacanora · 🥃 Sotol · 🌵 Mezcal · 🌵 Tequila · 🥃 Charanda · 🥃 Bayerischer Bärwurz
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- IMPI: Declaración General de Protección de la Denominación de Origen «Raicilla», signed 14.06.2019, DOF 28.06.2019 — 100 % agave spirit; Agave maximiliana, inaequidens, valenciana, angustifolia, rhodacantha and others, blue Weber excluded; 35–55 % alc. vol.; 16 municipalities; Raicilla, Artesanal and Tradición Ancestral categories; origin of the word
- WIPO Lex MX171: General Declaration on the Protection of the Appellation of Origin 'Raicilla' (DOF 28.06.2019), in force 01.07.2019
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)