OLATLI

The aguamiel (honey water) is a sweet sap that comes from maguey. The extraction of this sap and its product ‘pulque' dates from 200 A .C., knowledge that has been discovered thanks to the embossed stones that were carved by natives of Mexico , but also thanks to native leyends that explain its origins and its importance for pehispanic religion, for Aztecs drank pulque in religious ceremonies.

The Toltecs, during the reign of Tecpancaltzin, mention that a Toltec noble who's name was Papantzin, discovered how to extract aguamiel from the maguey plant, and that people who handled pulque were named ‘tlachiqueros' (from native tongue ‘náhuatl', meaning ‘scratch'), for they carved the stalk from maguey to extract its fine liquid, name that continues to exist nowadays.

It existed a cultural and emotional connection towards pulque, since the existence of the Maguey Goddess ‘Mayahuel', who they offered chants and spiritual ceremonies, and subsequently with the Spanish religion butlers from ranches where grew maguey, gathered with the ‘tlachiqueros' to adore maguey and taste the pulque, under the belief that it would bring wellness.

Pulque has a huge importance throughout Mexican history and culture. First, as a blessed beverage of religious character. When Spanish conquerors first got into native lands a fight of economic powers between national production and those who infiltrated distilled products, not fermented, and ‘VITIVINICOLAS' (main pulque competitors) begun. This provoked a campaign that discredited national beverage, as all other products belonging to natives.

Since colonial times to the early 20s, it was usual for people to enjoy it in ‘pulquerías' (places were pulque was the only thing on menus) and familiar restaurants, because pulque production in ranches was at its peak.

The main consumption and production area is the old region of ‘Llanos de Apan' or Hidalgo's high plain, were the ‘charrería' (traditional Mexican sport, practice done with ropes and horses) emerged, being a consequence of white and fermented beverage, because it was used by men in order to get drunk and then they could play with their horses in ranches that produced pulque.

During Porfirio Díaz's government and his trend toward French things, government tried to eradicate pulque, considering it ‘antihygienic' and ‘degenerative', which belonged to the working and native classes. But it was not until Álvaro Obregón's government that the interest to open market to beer companies occurred; and severe negative notes against pulque were published, saying that pulque was a low class beverage.

The Toltecs, during the reign of Tecpancaltzin, mention that a Toltec noble who's name was Papantzin, discovered how to extract aguamiel from the maguey plant, and that people who handled pulque were named ‘tlachiqueros' (from native tongue ‘náhuatl', meaning ‘scratch'), for they carved the stalk from maguey to extract its fine liquid, name that continues to exist nowadays.

In order to produce aguamiel, the ‘qioute' (maguey flower), before it used all nutrients, it was cut to stop its flourishment. The process consisted on hollowing out the center of the plant, removing its juice production, lapsed for about two months; and fermented normally by wild yeast. This juice was ready to drink. When it was fermented then it was pulque, used in ceremonies for priests, in order to have a better reception for the messages that the gods sent them. To people from low classes this luxurious beverage was prohibited, though because of its properties it was drank only by elder and sick people. Also it was medicated to women who would give birth soon, and women who were breasting their children In time of the Mexicas, pulque was called ixtac octli ("white liquor").

It existed a cultural and emotional connection towards pulque, since the existence of the Maguey Goddess ‘Mayahuel', who they offered chants and spiritual ceremonies, and subsequently with the Spanish religion butlers from ranches where grew maguey, gathered with the ‘tlachiqueros' to adore maguey and taste the pulque, under the belief that it would bring wellness.

	Pulque has a huge importance throughout Mexican history and culture. First, as a blessed beverage of religious character. When Spanish conquerors first got into native lands a fight of economic powers between national production and those who infiltrated distilled products, not fermented, and ‘VITIVINICOLAS' (main pulque competitors) begun. This provoked a campaign that discredited national beverage, as all other products belonging to natives. Since colonial times to the early 20s, it was usual for people to enjoy it in ‘pulquerías' (places were pulque was the only thing on menus) and familiar restaurants, because pulque production in ranches was at its peak.

The main consumption and production area is the old region of ‘Llanos de Apan' or Hidalgo's high plain, were the ‘charrería' (traditional Mexican sport, practice done with ropes and horses) emerged, being a consequence of white and fermented beverage, because it was used by men in order to get drunk and then they could play with their horses in ranches that produced pulque. During Porfirio Díaz's government and his trend toward French things, government tried to eradicate pulque, considering it ‘antihygienic' and ‘degenerative', which belonged to the working and native classes. But it was not until Álvaro Obregón's government that the interest to open market to beer companies occurred; and severe negative notes against pulque were published, saying that pulque was a low class beverage.
Furthermore, companies from Uruchurtu tried to improve the moral image of Mexico City , and beer companies participated in this effort to discredit pulque and ‘pulquerías'. This maguey discrimination was held on a local level, for politic and economic ends; prove of that is seen in the middle of XVIII century, a Swede naturalist Carlos Linneo named maguey as ‘agave' or ‘agavácea', and sure he found some of ‘admirable or illustrious' in these plants, because those adjectives mean precisely that in Latin.