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| Raicilla - Better Than Tequila! |
| By Anna Reisman |
 A
gentleman by the name of Travis who had taken part in
the filming of “The Night of the Iguana”
is presently writing a book about his experience back
then, in 1963. At one point in his narrative, he writes,
“John Huston got stinking drunk with Burton on
raicilla, a paralyzingly potent local cactus brandy.
Burton remarked that if you drank the raicilla straight
down, ‘you can feel it going into each individual
intestine.’ Huston told him it was because they
left the cactus needles in it.”
Raicilla... myths and facts
MYTH: The myth that it produces a
psychedelic effect is a product of a raicilla-inflamed
imagination. If we delve a little further, we could
say that it may have derived from the mistaken belief
that it contains mescaline from the local San Pedro
cactus. Although the San Pedro cactus does contain some
mescaline and has, at times, been used as part of the
fermented mash, mescaline is not volatile (it crystallizes
rather than vaporizes) and so cannot go through the
distillation process, but remains a residue in the mash.
 FACT:
Raicilla, pronounced "rye-see-ya" and meaning
“little root” used to be known as the local
moonshine. It used to be a strong violent liquor of
greatly varying quality, and usually over 100 proof.
Since it was produced without government license, and
sold without government tax, it was illegal in the same
sense that moonshine is illegal in the United States.
Since it is higher in alcoholic content
than most commercially available liquors, even a small
amount of crudely-produced raicilla can produce a sudden,
strong, and unpredictable drunkenness. It has a strong,
and persistent reputation for producing an aphrodisiac
effect in women …but causing temporary impotency
in men. This can lead to rather awkward social situations,
and conflicting desires.
It has been said that raicilla is
the oldest alcohol spirit known to man and we know that
it was drunk by the Indian high priests, even before
mezcal. It is distilled from a fermented mash made from
the maguey plant. Its production is one of the traditional
local arts, thus it is found only in this area.
 In
the past, travelers along the western seaboard of Mexico
in the vicinity of Puerto Vallarta would happen upon
roadside vendors of a moonshine version of mezcal called
raicilla. The name was originally used to disguise this
type of mezcal in order escape restrictions on alcohol
production and the related taxes, thus its sale was
always somewhat clandestine. One would receive it in
a screw top Coke or beer bottle or some other recyclable
container and the quality of the beverage verged on
the raw side.
Now, right here in Vallarta, a few
minutes south of town, there is a legitimate producer
of Raicilla, one who has combined the very best of historic,
traditional techniques with some advantages of modern
technology. It is "Raicilla Mismaloya" located
about 12 minutes south of town in Mismaloya.
A combination of the right type of
soil, sun, and rain in this part of western Jalisco
created the perfect environment for the growth of the
agave “chico aguillar” and the agave “Amarillo
verde” plants - the sugar sources for Raicilla.
 As
the agave plants mature, they begins to put up a flowering
stalk (quiote); this is cut off so that all of the plant’s
natural sugars are directed to the heart. After 8 to
10 years, the plant matures and is harvested. The spiny
outer leaves are cut off and the heart of the plant
that remains looks like a pineapple. In fact, it is
called a "piña". These piñas
weigh about one hundred pounds each. Every step of the
production of raicilla is done completely by hand. The
piñas are placed in large stone pit on top of
a layer of wood that is first placed at the bottom of
this inverted 10-ft. pyramid-shaped pit. The wood is
then topped by lava rocks. When those turn red from
the heat of the fire beneath them, the agave piñas
are placed on top. They are then covered with palm leaves
and a layer of clay mud on top to seal everything off.
Once they have “cooked” for three days,
the brown hearts of the agave are chopped into chunks
with machetes and then beaten until they are shredded
with a large wooden mallet (mazo) inserted into a wooden
form.
This mass of sweet, shredded and
cooked piñas are then put into oak barrels that
have been cut in half, and covered with purified water,
until they are thoroughly moistened. They cannot be
allowed to dry out.
 The
shredded agave and juice is then placed in 200-liter
vats made of a special sort of plastic (also used by
firms such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola because they
do not leech nor are they subject to the attacks of
the organisms that burrow into wood in search of sweet).
The mixture is left in those drums to ferment with the
natural plant yeasts for 7 to 10 days. (The cooler it
is outside, the longer time needed for fermentation.)
It is carefully supervised throughout the process. Once
fermentation is complete, the mixture is transferred
to the distillation apparatus where it is heated (using
a “modern” gas outlet instead of the traditional
wood) from where it goes to a copper distillation coil.
The distillation process is repeated
twice to produce a raicilla that is purer, clearer and
more concentrated than water. This is done in order
to fulfill governmental requirements that demand that
“bad” alcohols be removed in order for the
final product to contain only “good” alcohols.
The resulting distillate is a high quality, 100% natural,
extra smooth Raicilla known as "Raicilla Mismaloya".
To appreciate the efforts that go into this entirely
legal and pure Raicilla, consider that it takes 120
liters of fermented liquid to produce 1 liter of Raicilla.
 Raicilla
Mismaloya is stored in oak barrels for no longer than
3 months before being bottled. This is to ensure that
it acquires just a hint of the oak “flavor”
while still maintaining its perfectly clear aspect.
Sr. Antonio Mejía is the owner
of Raicilla Mismaloya and of the original raicilla production
establishment which he opened in Mezcales, Nayarit,
a few years ago. He reminded us that the distillation
process was brought over to Mexico by the Spaniards
who had gotten it from the Moors. He and his partner
Memo also introduced us to the other three (alcoholic)
products one may purchase at the lovely shop located
at the back of the courtyard where visitors are led
through the various stages of the manufacturing process.
They are a mandarin-flavored liqueur, an almond-flavored
one and my favorite, a coffee liqueur. All are made
with a raicilla base and all go down oh so smoothly!
Presently, the family manufactures those three products
in Mezcales but plans are in the works to begin producing
the coffee liqueur here in Vallarta for all of us to
see just how it’s done.
 In
case you’re new at this, like me, Sr. Antonio
will show you exactly how raicilla should be savored,
in the traditional way, so that you may connect with
the spirit of the agave plant itself! For those who
drink alcohol and even those who don’t (like me),
a taste of raicilla is an almost essential part of the
full local experience. It's worth it - clear, a little
bit sweet, not the same as tequila …maybe better.
This is something all visitors to
Vallarta should experience at least once. Speaking for
his family - all of whom are involved in running the
business both here and in Mezcales - Sr. Antonio told
me that as much as he welcomes the large groups of tourists
who come off the cruise ships in Vallarta and go visit
his shop, he still prefers couples and small groups.
“Making raicilla is a passion in our family. It
is easier to transmit that passion to fewer people,
one on one, than to large groups.”
Raicilla Mismaloya is located
at No. 5 Calle 5 de Mayo in the town of Mismaloya. Getting
there is very easy: Take the highway to Mismaloya (southwards)
and turn left right opposite the entrance to La Jolla
de Mismaloya hotel. Take the right-hand road as soon
as you enter, as if you were going to El Eden, and continue
for a little bit until you see a two-story building
painted orange. It is located at the corner of Vicente
Guerrero (the main strip) and 5 de Mayo. Turn right
before the building and park. You’re there. For
more detailed information, just call Antonio at 228-0625
or 228-0658.
 
By Anna Reisman
pvmomto3@hotmail.com
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