Page 44 - DreamScapes Magazine | Spring/Summer 2026

TA B L E TA L K
After
Tequila Mezcal
+
TEQUILA IS FAMOUS WORLDWIDE AND
mezcal is having its moment. But another
desert spirit from Mexico still flying under
the radar is sotol, and Victor Ibarra intends to
change that.
“For the last 13 years, I’ve been living in
Manhattan, but I’m originally from Chi-
huahua,” he says, when about eight years ago,
he decided to return and promote this little-
known spirit making its comeback.
His sotol gospel campaign spread in 2019
when he helped found Oro de Coyame, an
artisanal distillery near Chihuahua City. His
efforts are paying off as interest in agave-
adjacent spirits continues to grow.
On a sunny afternoon, Ibarra welcomes
me with evangelical zeal for a drink rooted
in the Chihuahuan Desert that was banned
until 1994 and only gained protected status
in 2002 under Mexico’s denomination of
origin law.
SOTOL IS NOT TEQUILA
“When I taste sotol, I taste the desert of
Chihuahua,” he enthuses.
Unlike tequila and mezcal, which are
made from agave, sotol is distilled from the
heart (piña) of wild Dasylirion plants—spiky
desert perennials often called desert spoon.
Depending on the growing conditions, the
plants can take 10 to 20 years, sometimes
longer to mature. That long growth cycle
makes sustainability critical. Oro de Coyame
operates a reforestation program that has
already planted half a million young
Dasylirion seedlings to ensure future supply.
AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY
During U.S. prohibition (1920–1933), authori-
ties on both sides of the border cracked down
on unregulated alcohol production like sotol.
Soteleros buried their illicit bottles under-
ground to avoid confiscation, marking hiding
spots with fake gravestones. The pleasant
side effect is that the sotol was aged in an
environment with constant temperature and
no light, which enhanced its flavour.
Today, Oro de Coyame recreates that tradi-
tion with limited “entierro” editions aged
underground.
My host put sotol production into per-
spective: Mexican distilleries produce as
much as 600 million litres of tequila annu-
ally and another 10 million litres of mezcal.
44
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2026
Is Sotol Poised to
Become Mexico’s
Next Big Drink?
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY MARK STACHIEW
PRO TIP
While many enjoy drinking sotol
straight, most mixologists
recommend using it in cocktails as
a substitute for tequila, mezcal,
vodka or gin.
Sotol production, by comparison, is typically
measured at only half a million litres.
A SPIRIT OF PLACE
In the tasting room, Ibarra poured generously
from several bottles. Each had distinct
flavours, but the overall profile landed some-
where between mezcal’s smokiness and gin’s
herbaceous brightness.
He hopes international drinkers will seek
out bottles at specialty retailers, but insists
the best introduction is on home soil.
TRAVEL PLANNER
Plan your visit to Mexico’s largest state at
visitachihuahua.mx/en