Detonates Denomination of Origin root growth

Since the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) made the General Declaration of Protection of the Raicilla Denomination of Origin in 2019, this traditional drink of Jalisco It hasn’t stopped growing.

Five years ago there were around 80 producers and currently the Council has 234 members, of which 89 have taverns or distilleries and are also producers, 50 are only agave producers and the rest are marketers.

Álvaro Fernández Labastida, president of the Mexican Raicilla Promoter Council, explained that currently around 550 thousand liters are produced.

“Last year we reached 400 thousand liters, and several members are already exporting,” he commented.

However, Fernández Labastida recognizes that raicilla is still a very small industry compared to tequila, which produced around 600 million liters last year.

“We barely have one percent of tequila production, mezcal produced 20 million liters, but we see a lot of growth potential,” he assured.

Fernández Labastida added that the challenge for raicilla producers is to give it the value and importance it represents in the market.

“The challenge is to stay united as producers, that is what makes us very strong, that we get the alcoholic beverage marketing sector to support us with a presence on the shelves in restaurants and bars because we have a very high barrier to entry, they ask us for sponsorships and “That is very difficult,” he commented.

Currently, the designation of origin of the raicilla covers 15 municipalities in Jalisco and 1 in Nayarit.

The Mexican Raicilla Promoter Council presented the request for protection as a designation of origin for this agave drink that dates back to colonial times, and is produced in 16 municipalities of the state of Jalisco: Atengo, Chiquilistlán, Juchitlán, Tecolotlán, Tenamaxtlán, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán, Atenguillo, Ayutla, Cuautla, Guachinango, Pet, Mixtlán, San Sebastián del Oeste and Talpa de Allende, and one in the state of Nayarit, Bahía de Banderas.

What is the root?

Raicilla is an agave distillate that It is mainly made in the state of Jalisco y Nayarit.

“Tequila, like raicilla, bacanora, mezcal, are all distilled from agave, the difference is that raicilla is made with other varieties of agave, which are mainly five species: Angustifolia, Rhodacantha, Valenciana, Maximiliana and Inaequidens,” explained Álvaro Fernández Labastida

What is the Denomination of Origin?

The name of a geographical region of the country that serves to designate a product originating from it, and whose quality or characteristics are due exclusively to the geographical environment.

Mexico has 18 designations of origin, among which drinks such as tequila, mezcal, sotol, bacanora and charanda stand out.

Jalisco has three Denomination of Origin: tequila, Yahualica chili and raicilla.

Producers see positive outlook

For Paulo López Lomelí, a raicilla producer, the outlook for this drink is positive both in Mexico and abroad.

López Lomelí, who has been a raicilla producer for 20 years, has two brands in the market: Flor de Dalía and La Ambiciosa.

The interviewee assures that as a result of the Protection of the Denomination of Origin, the production of this distillate was triggered.

“I have a tavern and distillery in Tierras Coloradas in the municipality of Mascota where I have 31 hectares of plantations of the maximiliana variety,” he commented.

Their brands are sold in the Mascota region and in other states of the country where they have little by little made their way.

“Since the Tequila Regulatory Council was formed and a few years ago we were given the Denomination of Origin, we began to know more,” he stressed.

As a result of this recognition, producers grew. Previously there were around 80 raicilla producers and currently there are more than 250 among producers, distillers, marketers, among others.

“The Denomination of Origin was the one that triggered everything and it continues to grow more and more,” he said.

Previously, López Lomelí produced around 2 thousand liters of raicilla per season and currently produces between 10 to 15 thousand liters.

“Raicilla producers say that tequila is king, but raicilla is king,” he said.

They hold a raicilla brand contest

This Friday an official raicilla brand contest was held in Mascota, Jalisco. 30 brands participated in the event for the Raicilla Award, which awarded double gold, gold, silver and bronze medals.

Jaime Augusto Villalobos Díaz, master taster and president of Tequila Culture and Training, highlighted the quality of the participating brands.

Initially, it was a contest between 30 brands and they rewarded the best, but they changed the concept of rewarding first, second and third place and we awarded double gold, gold, silver and bronze medals.

“Behind each glass there is a producer and he is really passionate about it and when he enters a competition, we as tasters are forced to use all five senses to classify his product,” he explained.

The tasters rated the organoleptic characteristics of what it looks like, what it tastes like, what it smells like, and the sensory sensation of the product.

“Sight has certain characteristics, smell has others and taste has others,” explained Villalobos Díaz.

The president of Tequila Culture and Training commented that raicilla is little by little gaining followers among consumers because it is increasingly made of better quality.

“Raicilla has enormous potential, the raicilla that was produced 10 years ago is not what it is today, raicilla is becoming a quality Jalisco distillate, it has all the capacity to reach international palates,” he concluded.

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