After waiting up to 12 years for the plant to mature, its core, referred to as the heart of the Maguey plant, is carved out using a machete and a traditional barretta.
From the beginning
Patience and Perseverance
Aquamiel
The next day, the tlachiquero, agave farmer, is greeted by a pool of cloudy, sweet, and viscous aguamiel - rich in essential amino acids, sugars, vitamins, mineral salts, and natural gums. How does the tlachiquero harvest the liquid from the plant? Using his lungs as a vacuum, the tlachiquero siphons the aguamiel into an acocote, or hollowed out gourd, and then deposits the sap into a container. The tlachiquero siphons the aguamiel from the same plant every dawn and dusk for 3-6 months.
After 6 months, the hollowed out cavity of the maguey plant is scratched to begin stimulation of its sap.
After every siphoning, the maguey cavity is scratched to stimulate the secretion of more sap. This scratching and siphoning occurs until the plant dries up and dies 4-6 months later.
Scratch & Siphon
Fermentation
Fermentation is the process when sugar converts to alcohol. The fermentation process begins inside of the plant and continues in a tinacal, or fermentation room, where the aguamiel is deposited into fermentation tanks. The fermentation is kickstarted with a stronger "seed" or "mother starter." The result is one of America's first probiotic and alcoholic beverages.
Pulque
Once aguamiel has been fermented to a certain degree (between 4% and 7% alcohol) it can now be called pulque. Pulque is usually consumed after 7-14 days.
Distillation
Distillation, also known as purification, is the process of slowly heating up and then cooling down a lower concentration of alcohol so that the remaining liquid has a higher concentration of alcohol.
Pulcatta
The alcohol percentage varies depending on the brand and tasting qualities that the distiller is looking for. In the case of Xoma, we distill the pulque to 40% alcohol by volume.
Xoma
Introducing the first pulcatta product in the US market.
