The Tavern and Its Keeper
In the community of San José del Mosco, in the municipality of Mascota, lies the taberna of Benito Salcedo Ríos — El Ciervo — a scholar and connoisseur of agaves, second-generation raicillero, agronomist by profession, and friend.
Benito learned the craft of making raicilla from his father, who in turn had learned it from an uncle.
In Jalisco, there are three regions where traditional agave spirits are produced: the Sierra, the North Coast, and the South. Raicilla production is concentrated in the mountains — specifically across the Western Coastal Sierra, Sierra de Amula, and the Southern Coast of Jalisco.
The Agaves of Jalisco
Raicilla is made from five varieties of agave: Maximiliana, Inaequidens, Valenciana, Rhodacantha, and Angustifolia.
The agave Valenciana — or maguey cuaresmeño, as Benito says it was once known in the region — is critically endangered due to overgrazing and the lack of a management plan for non-timber forest resources. This agave grows naturally in temperate forests dominated by pine and oak. It reproduces through seeds, unlike other species that propagate through shoots, and requires at least thirteen years to reach maturity.
There is a locality near San José del Mosco called El Carrizo, within the Ejido El Potrerillo, where agave Valenciana still grows wild.
When the agave Valenciana sends up its flowering stalk — the quiote — it is preparing to reproduce. This process occurs through flowering and seed production, made possible by pollinators such as the maguey bat, hummingbirds, and insects like bees.
Beyond the Spirit
Beyond its use in making raicilla, this agave’s fiber was once used to make bricks for building houses. It also has medicinal properties — it helps heal wounds — and its strong fibers can be used to craft ropes, clothing, footwear, aguamiel, and pulque.
This is where El Ciervo’s journey begins…
References:
- Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad; (Actualizado en: 23/09/2021 – 22:13hrs). México.
- Cabrera – Toledo, D., N. Larrañaga y P. Carrillo–Reyes. (2024). Mezcales y destilados artesanales del occidente y sur de Jalisco. (Pag. 19-23) Universidad de Guadalajara, México. 96 pp. [ISBN:978-607-581-209-0].
- María de Lourdes Delgado Aceves, Antonia Gutiérrez Mora, Benito Salcedo Ríos y Santiago Corona Pérez. (2024). Manejo agrobiotecnológico para la producción y conservación de Agave Maximiliana Baker
Acknowledgments:
Benito Salcedo, Emanuel Cuenca, and Huaraches de Oro y Plata for sharing the moment.
