New York City is gearing up for a weeklong celebration of sotol, a unique spirit hailing from northern Mexico, from October 6 to 12. The event, known as Sotol Week, aims to introduce this earthy and complex drink to a wider audience through special cocktails, tastings, and various events.
Over 70 bars and restaurants across the city will showcase limited-edition drinks featuring Casa Lotos Sotol. Notable venues participating include Superbueno, Dante, Saga, the Wall Street Hotel, Cosme, Toloache, and El Fish. Each location will explore the versatility of sotol, crafting everything from refreshing highballs to inventive margarita variations.
The festival’s inception came from a collaboration between Casa Lotos and José María “Chema” Dondé Rangel, founder of Panorama Mezcal, who designed this event to highlight the spirit’s cultural significance and complex flavors. The week will kick off with a distillation demonstration at the Consulate General of Mexico, led by Gerardo Ruelas, a fourth-generation sotolero. Attendees will learn about the unique influences of terroir and the distillation process that defines the spirit.
Sotol, made from the wild-harvested Dasylirion plant (also known as desert spoon), has a rich history in regions like Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila, where it has been distilled for centuries. Unlike agave, which is cultivated in organized fields, sotol grows in the wild and takes over a decade to mature. It is celebrated for capturing the rugged character of its desert environment.
For those eager to dive into New York’s burgeoning sotol scene, Sotol Week presents an exciting opportunity to sample this distinctive spirit at various locations throughout the city.