Raicilla
An agave spirit from the mountains and coast of Jalisco, inland from Puerto Vallarta, often from wild agaves — wilder and fruitier than tequila, usually less smoky than mezcal.
tropical fruit · funky · earthy
If you can't find it
Specialist spirit shops.
The same
You lose the fruity funk.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Specialist shops; quality varies widely, so buy from producers who name the agave and the maker.
- A little history
- Long made outside tequila's rules and taxes; it only got its own appellation in the late 2010s.
- Worth knowing
- Sip it first. In a drink it's where you'd want mezcal's funk without the smoke — try it as half the base in a margarita.