Rancho Tepua Bacanora. Ok, tequila is by far the best known spirit made from the agave plant, mezcal has seriously been having a moment in recent years, and maybe you’ve even heard of sotol or racilla as other agave spirits. But how about Bacanora?

Bacanora is the (literally) long-lost child of the agave family, and flavor-wise falls between a tequila and a mezcal. It’s been made in the state of Sonora in Mexico for hundreds of years (once playing a significant role in local society and economy), yet was banned for almost 80 years in the 1900s (largely political, similar to American prohibition). The ban was finally lifted in 1992, but that’s 80 long lost years! During that time, several generations were born and raised, the fields that once grew agave were replaced with other things, and “bacanora” developed an association with low-quality “moonshine” versions sometimes illegally produced. As a result, today the worldwide prominence of bacanora is still limited by many challenges: few modern producers, the burden of harvesting *wild* agave, and counteracting the negative reputation of the spirit as harsh moonshine. However, if you’re still reading this, you know you need to find some.

Similar to mezcals, bacanora is also made from underground-roasted agave to give it a smoky flavor, but is milder and less intense than mezcals can be, bringing it closer to a smooth creamy tequila.

Give it a try, it deserves more reknown! Have you had bacanora?