Pulque, known as the nectar of the gods, is a fermented beverage made from the aguamiel (honey water) extracted from the maguey plant. Its history dates back to pre-Hispanic times and is deeply linked to the worldview, rituals, and daily life of Mesoamerican peoples. More than just an alcoholic beverage, pulque holds religious, social, and cultural significance that makes it a symbol of national identity.

Pulque in the Pre-Hispanic Worldview
It is believed that the origin of pulque dates back to the Mesoamerican territory, which was comprised of the ancestors of the Mexica and other ancient peoples of the Anáhuac region. Their main connection was their Nahuatl language, in addition to having great similarities in their religion and worldview. These pre-Hispanic peoples included Texcoco, Tlaxcala, Chalco, Cholula, Azcapotzalco, Acolhuacán, and the Mexica, among others. The latter are notable for the founding of Tenochtitlán and their influence on other peoples in the region and the states of Morelos, Michoacán, and Hidalgo.

Their worldview includes stories, myths, and legends surrounding pulque, this intoxicating and highly prized beverage in pre-Hispanic times, consecrated to the gods and their representatives on earth, primarily priests and warriors. Throughout Mexico, legends surround this elixir, depending on the area you’re in.

The Aztecs told of Princess Xóchitl strolling through the countryside one day. She was fond of animals and enjoyed nature, playing with deer, rabbits, and opossums. But one day, she noticed many badgers gathered among the maguey trees. Crowded around a hole, they scratched and scraped the root of the plant, from which a whitish liquid, “honey water,” flowed out. Curious, Xóchitl approached and drank some of this liquid. She loved the taste so much that she hurried to bring a clay pot and collected some of the juice that flowed from the maguey to take as a gift to her father, Papantzin, who raved about the drink.

As the days went by, Papantzin noticed that the juice changed color, texture, smell, and of course, taste. It had fermented a little, and when he tasted it, he felt even happier. The man’s experience was so pleasant that he decided to offer it to his King Tepalcatzin, accompanied by his wife and his daughter Xóchitl.

This episode of our Aztec ancestors has been captured by José María Obregón in the painting “The Discovery of Pulque” (1869) which portrays this mythical passage that took place in the splendor of Tula – Tolteca (the current state of Hidalgo) around the year 900 AD.

But there are not only stories about the creation of pulque but also stories surrounding it, such as the legend of the Centzon Totochtin or “four hundred rabbit lords,” deities associated with drunkenness and guardian gods of this drink.

From Mayahuel came the 400 rabbits, which she feeds with her 400 breasts, a symbol of fertility, each one representing the level of fermentation of the pulque and a different state of intoxication.

The Centzon Totochtin symbolize the different personalities a drunk can take on: from joy to euphoria, through aggression or sleepiness, to sadness or tears. Pre-Hispanic inhabitants believed that each individual contained the personality of one of these gods, who emerged when they became intoxicated with pulque, possessing and guiding them during their intoxication.

Another myth is that of the lunar phases, as the association of the moon with the gods of pulque is very strong. The rabbit is the lunar animal par excellence, as it was thrown by Papáztac (one of the gods of pulque). History tells us that the moon is the pot; the busy rabbit draws out the aguamiel to fill the pot with the glistening pulque, thus forming the crescent moon and the full moon. But the opossum likes to bother the rabbit and so he drinks the soft elixir and like an ingenious thief he pierces the pot causing the waning and new phases.

In his book “Noche antigua,” David Daniel Álvarez carefully compiles various stories and myths from ancient Mexico, including those of the rabbit and the opossum.

A very similar myth tells of how every time humans look up at the sky and observe the moon, they wonder: What is its consistency? What is the moon made of? Why does it change shape every night? Mesoamericans believed it was a large pot of pulque, and as the days passed, it poured its liquid onto the earth, fertilizing it and exerting a profound influence on plants, the tides, and the earth itself. This is why they closely followed the lunar phases to know the exact moment to obtain aguamiel (honey water). This knowledge continues to this day, as the moon is considered in the cultivation and production of pulque and other crops.

Pulque, therefore, was not only a beverage but a bridge between the human and divine worlds. It was part of the offerings to the gods and accompanied agricultural, marriage, and war rituals.

Production and Ethnographic Significance
The process of making pulque retains a deep sense of community. The tlachiquero, a maguey scraper, extracts the aguamiel (honey water) with the acocote (a type of snail), a pre-Hispanic instrument. The liquid is placed in containers and taken to the tinacal (a type of tinacal), where it ferments (Millones & Mayer, 2011). This artisanal process requires patience and knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

In rural life, pulque was considered a food. It was called “slow food” because it provided energy, minerals, and nutrients. It was also used for medicinal purposes: it was recommended for gastrointestinal problems, weakness, and to stimulate breast milk production. The popular saying “it’s just one degree away from being meat” reflects the perception of its high nutritional value (Torres, 2017).

Pulque is the quintessential Mexican slow food (a concept that refers to the pleasure of eating slowly while appreciating the quality of natural products). Its value lies in its fermentation process of sweet, freshly harvested aguamiel (agave nectar) into a complex, foamy beverage that offers joy to those who consume it.

Ethnographically, pulque also functioned as an element of social cohesion. In rural communities, sharing it was a gesture of hospitality and a means of strengthening collective ties (Bonfil Batalla, 1990).

Historical Importance
Archaeological evidence of pulque consumption dates back to 1200 BC in regions such as Guerrero and Tehuantepec, where scrapers and vestiges associated with its production have been found (Torres, 2017). With the arrival of the Spanish, its use continued, but took on new dimensions. During the viceroyalty, pulque became a source of economic wealth, especially on the haciendas of the central highlands (Millones & Mayer, 2011).

In the 19th century and during the Porfiriato, pulque reached its peak. Pulquerías proliferated in Mexico City, becoming popular gathering places. There, cultural practices such as the consumption of “curados” (cured spirits) and the creation of a festive atmosphere accompanied by music, food, and conviviality were consolidated (Florescano, 2009).

However, after the Mexican Revolution and the decline of the haciendas, pulque lost prominence to tequila and beer, beverages that were easier to store and had greater commercial potential. Added to this were smear campaigns, such as the false belief that it was fermented with excrement, which generated a stigma that persists to this day (Torres, 2017).

Pulque Today
Despite its decline, pulque has experienced a renaissance in recent decades. New generations have revalued its traditional and artisanal character. Currently, there are pulque tourist routes in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and the State of Mexico, where visitors can visit pulque haciendas, observe the maguey process, and taste curated beverages of various flavors (Torres, 2017).

Pulque has also positioned itself as part of the “Slow Food” movement, which champions natural products and traditional processes in the face of industrialization (Bonfil Batalla, 1990). Likewise, medical research recognizes its probiotic and nutritional benefits (Millones & Mayer, 2011). In this sense, pulque not only survives, but is reinventing itself as a symbol of identity and cultural resilience.

Pulque is much more than an alcoholic beverage: it is a central element of Mexican history and culture. From its origin myths, through its ritual function in the pre-Hispanic worldview, to its economic role in the viceroyalty and the Porfiriato, pulque has accompanied the Mexican peoples as an expression of their spirituality, social organization, and identity.

Today, facing the risk of oblivion and stigmatization, pulque remains alive as an ancestral heritage. Its rescue involves not only preserving a beverage, but also maintaining a bridge to the past, to the land, and to the practices that define the depths of our culture. Drinking pulque is, in that sense, drinking history.

Bibliographic References

• Álvarez, D. D. (2012). Noche antigua. Mexico: Ediciones del Ermitaño.
• Bonfil Batalla, G. (1990). México profundo. Una sociedad negada. Mexico: Grijalbo.
• Florescano, E. (2009). Los mitos de origen de los pueblos Mesoamericanos. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica.
• López Austin, A. (1994). Tamoanchan and Tlalocan: Mythical Places of Origin. Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Económica.
• Millones, L. & Mayer, A. (2011). History of Pulque. Mexico City: Ediciones Era.
• Obregón, J. M. (1869). The Discovery of Pulque [Painting]. National Museum of Art, Mexico City.
• Torres, E. (2017). Pulque: Cultural Heritage and Drink of the Gods. Journal of Mesoamerican Studies, 25(2), 45-62.

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