5 Mexican drinks that you must know
Mexico is a country with a great cultural diversity, colorful gastronomy and highly popular craft drinks such as tequila, which is known worldwide. However, there are other beverages with a seal of Mexican quality that many people may not know about, but whose consumption is massive in some regions of this country.
Who has not heard the word Mexico and automatically associated it with tequila? This happens because the consumer market has sold us over the years this stereotype of Mexican canteens or bars, with people in front of a good bottle of tequila.
However, Mexico has many more alcoholic beverages with a great flavor and variety of ingredients, originating in different provinces and manufactured under a process that is just as laborious as tequila. Therefore, we want to introduce you to some of them.
1. pox
We will begin this selection of Mexican drinks with Pox, which is a distillate originating in the town of Chiapas and with a cultural load of great importance that dates back to the time of the Mayans.
It is a brandy that combines sugar cane and corn extract, both distilled and fermented, to convert the sugars into ethyl alcohol, obtaining a maximum degree of 18%.
This popular drink is more easily found in San Cristóbal de las Casas and is generally used in religious ceremonies. This is because, since pre-Hispanic times, it has been thought to help create a spiritual connection in these healing practices. In addition, the Pox is currently used in family gatherings as a drink to accompany food or to share a pleasant time with loved ones.
2. Damiana liquor
La Damiana is another drink with a seal of Mexican quality and a history that dates back to the 17th century, specifically in the states of Baja California and Sinaloa.
By then, the missionaries began to arrive in these regions and tried native foods and drinks that caught their attention, due to their color and particular flavor. One of them was an infusion of herbs and alcohol, which was taken by the villagers daily.
This powerful tea focused its manufacture on the well-known plant called Damiana, which is characterized by its many medicinal properties. Among them, its analgesic power to calm headaches stands out, as well as being a suitable plant to improve stomach discomfort, anxiety, depression and it is even a powerful aphrodisiac.
Currently, this ancient tea is marketed as an alcoholic beverage, which enjoys great popularity throughout Mexico, consumed with meals to improve digestion, release the tensions of a long day of work and enhance sexual desire in a natural way, and without risk of experiencing an adverse reaction.
3. Charanda
The Charanda is a drink with a touch of sweetness, which is usually consumed before lunch, dinner or, if you wish, at the end of said meals. Everything will depend on your taste.
Regarding this drink, you will be interested to know that it is a type of liquor typical of the state of Michoacán, produced through an extraction process directly applied to sugar cane, to be processed later. The drink can be consumed on its own or incorporated as part of any sweet cocktail.
4. Beer
Perhaps beer is not an indigenous drink in Mexico, but it is one of those products that are here to stay and are adopted by the inhabitants as their own.
During the 19th century, beer was introduced to this country with the purpose of offering people a new option in alcoholic beverages, as well as in order to reduce the consumption of the well-known Pulque. This is a drink present since the pre-Hispanic period, made with maguey mead and exposed to fermentation.
The truth is that beer managed to position itself in Mexico, giving rise to the manufacture of drinks of the same type, but craft. Likewise, they began to create various mixtures, in order to offer new flavors. This is the case of the Michelada, which is nothing more than a glass of very cold beer with a touch of lemon, chili, salt and Worcestershire sauce, along with a frosty ice.
5. Balance
In fifth place in this selection is tequila, which is one of the most well-known drinks worldwide, either because of cultural references in cinema, television, social networks, or because you have tried it at least once in your life.
This is a distillate that is made from the blue agave plant, grown on semi-dry land. The pineapple is taken from it and then it is torn to extract all the sugars, which will be distilled, fermented, cooked and filtered. In this way, the water is extracted, and said sugar is converted into ethyl alcohol, enriched with yeast and some nutrients. Thus, white and brilliant tequila is made.
However, there are those who question which is the best tequila (by clicking on this link you can find some purchase options), since, apart from the white drink, there is the aged or extra-aged tequila, which is placed to mature in completely sealed wooden barrels, for a period of one or three years respectively. These containers prevent light or air from oxidizing the preparation during that time.
As a curious fact about this drink, we can comment on the reason why it is customary to accompany it with salt and lemon. For a time there was an epidemic in Mexican territory that affected the region of the throat, but medicines were scarce and doctors took on the task of prescribing patients to drink tequila with salt and lemon to neutralize the infection and improve hoarseness.. The method was effective and, due to its particular flavor, people began to drink it in this way, making it a custom.
These are just five of the drinks that have accompanied Mexican folklore for years, some made regionally and others adopted from other cultures. Now all you have to do is dedicate yourself to trying each one, if you wish.
