Trip to raicilla country

 

Esteban Morales at a taberna in the western Jalisco mountains. He is holding a bat used to extract the juice from the cooked agave. This is extremely rudimentary , slow and inefficient.

Under the blue plastic is the fermentation pit. In the background are the clay stills.

 

Linda standing by the oven where the agaves are cooked.

 

 

Condensers of clay catching the condensate into pots.

 

 

 

The fermentation pit with fibers and "mosto muerte", dead must ready to be put into the clay still.

 

 

Putting the fibers and must into the clay still . On the left hand background is the bagasse taken out from earlier distillations.

 

Placing the condensers back onto the just filled clay stills.

 

 

 

Rekindling the fire to start the next distillation. Between the fire and the condensers are clay stills
about the same size and shape as the condensers.

 

 

 

From right to left, Tomas Estes, the family making the raicilla and Esteban Morales who takes the raicilla to market. Raicilla is a regional type of agave spirit at about 47 %abv. Which is loaded with rich, deep flavors.

 

 

Esteban showing how the new clay condenser fits onto a new clay still.

 

 

Agaves used to make raicilla growing wild near the town of Mascota.

 

 

Agaves "semi-cultivated" for raicilla production. These are planted amongst other wild plants giving an more rich influence of "terroir".

 

From right to left- Ruben the raicilla producer, Esteban and Anselmo enjoying drinks from the makeshift bar with plastic bottles of cola, Squirt and Ruben's raicilla. What else does a thirsty man need?