Discover Mexico’s Liquid Heritage

Credits: Science Direct, International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, Punch 

Mexico is home to a rich variety of hyper-regional, traditional, non-distilled fermented beverages that remain central to its culture. We see an opportunity to highlight this underrepresented side of Mexico’s drink heritage.

The use of ancestral beverages opens the door to new and exciting cocktails. So, we join the trend where everything old is new again.

Whether derived from maize, cactus, or agave, these beverages played an essential part in the country’s heritage. A single sip of any pre-Hispanic drink carries thousands of years of Mexican history!

Tejuino: A Refreshing Option

Tejuino is a traditional non-distilled fermented beverage made of maize, consumed during cultural ceremonies by Indigenous groups across Mexico. Made from nixtamalized corn, water, lime, and brown sugar, tejuino has helped broaden the global perception of Mexican drinks beyond palomas and margaritas.

Its production can follow an artisanal method, fermenting germinated maize in clay pots, or a commercial process using nixtamalized maize. It’s left to mature for two or three days in a clay pot covered with cloth, so the alcohol content is very low.

During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and fungi play important roles in developing the sensory and nutritional characteristics of this beverage. Despite its cultural importance, tejuino has been the subject of very few studies.

Today, Tejuino is typically sold by street vendors around the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. It’s served cold with either lime juice and salt or a lime sorbet. Even though it’s somewhat thick, it’s very refreshing! 

Pulque: A Milky, Pre-Hispanic Brew 

Pulque is an ancestral beverage that has accompanied Mexicans since time immemorial. 

Nutritious, refreshing, and slightly intoxicating, it is known as aoktli in Náhuatl. It is, without a doubt, the most well-known of the pre-Hispanic drinks. It’s made by fermenting aguamiel, a sweet juice extracted from the agave plant. 

The tlachiqueros are responsible for extracting this “honey water” from the maguey plants. They make an incision in the heart of the maguey called a cajete, from which the aguamiel flows. This liquid is then collected using an instrument called an acocote.

Spanish chroniclers documented its production and consumption, from Fray Bernardino de Sahagún to Fray Juan de Torquemada, Toribio Benavente, and Francisco Hernández. These chronicles highlight the nutritional properties of pulque while condemning drunkenness and its excesses. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún enumerates its medicinal qualities, emphasizing that pulque is accompanied by all medicinal intakes mixed with other ingredients.

Until the mid-1930s, when the boom of the brewing industry began to overshadow it, pulque was a popular drink enjoyed throughout the country.

It’s currently going through a revival, and whether natural or cured (when fruits or seeds are added during the preparation process), it can be found in bars and specialized stores called pulquerías.

Traditionally, pulque has been produced in the country’s central and southwestern states, primarily in the pulque-producing regions of Chalco, the Valley of Apan, the Valley of Tizayuca, the Sierra de las Cruces, the Valley of Cuernavaca, Zempoala, Huamantla, and Cholula.

However, for U.S.-based bartenders, the availability of distilled pulque, a higher-proof alternative to the ready-to-drink options, presents an intriguing new spirit and a platform for educating guests about its fermented predecessor. 

Tepache: Originally from Corn, Now Pineapple

The third ancestral beverage we have chosen to celebrate Mexico’s Independence is tepache. Today, it is most often prepared with pineapple peels, pulp, and juice, sweetened with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar). Its balance of sweetness and gentle acidity makes it refreshing and deeply satisfying, and it is enjoyed throughout much of Mexico.

Tepache, however, did not begin with pineapple. Its name derives from the Náhuatl word tepiatl, meaning “corn drink,” a reminder of its origins as a maize-based beverage. Over time, pineapple became the most common ingredient, giving the drink its distinctive flavor while preserving its ancestral roots.

Although fermentation with pineapple and piloncillo is the most widespread method, tepache can also be made with tibicos or búlgaros (water kefir grains), macro-colonies of bacteria that simplify the process. Preparing it this way requires little more than combining piloncillo water, fresh water, and tibicos in a glass container for about 72 hours, resulting in a lightly effervescent and flavorful drink. Take a look at its traditional recipe here.  

Each drink carries the story of the land, the plants, and the people who cultivated them, turning every sip into a journey through time. Raise your glass, taste the history, and celebrate Mexico in the most authentic way possible.