Here’s a chance to find out more about an agave-based beverage that very few visitors or even residents are familiar with: raicilla.

Native to Jalisco, raicilla is a potent moonshine liquor produced in the coastal region around Puerto Vallarta. It is made in 16 Jalisco municipalities from the “lechugilla” agave, a smaller, greener plant than the blue agave used in tequila production, most commonly found in the desserts of Chihuahua and Sonora and the Sierra Madre mountain range.

Raicilla was granted Denomination of Origin status within Mexico in 2019.

Slightly sweet, but with a harsh flavour, raicilla is clear, or has a very faint brown tinge, and can vary significantly in quality. It can be consumed straight, with salt and lime, on the rocks, or mixed with grapefruit soda. Contrary to popular myth, the drink has no hallucinogenic properties.

If you’d like to know more about the spirit known as “the grandfather of tequila,” you won’t want to miss the Fifth Annual Dama Juana Raicilla Festival, set for Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15, daily from noon to 10 p.m. in front of the Vallarta Institute of Culture on the Rio Cuale Island in Puerto Vallarta.

This three-day cultural event will feature raicilla tastings, talks and documentary screenings, live music, a tropical party, and much more.