Raicilla is an agave distillate that has an interesting and peculiar history. In colonial times it was prohibited and several centuries later, that is, today, it managed to increase its exports by 300 percent, and Jalisco obtained its appellation of origin for its quality and tradition.
There have been records of its production since 1700, explains Álvaro Fernández Labastida, president of the Consejo Mexicano Promotor de la Raicilla (CMPR). “It used to be called mezcal, but when the Spaniards prohibited it in order to promote only the consumption of Iberian distillates, the settlers decided to change the name to raicilla to circumvent the prohibition.”