New To Sotol? An Expert Explains How To Drink This Mexican Spirit

For the uninitiated, sotol is a distilled spirit from Northern Mexico crafted from the Dasylirion plant, also known as the desert spoon or sotol, that grows wild in the Chihuahuan Desert and elsewhere. This isn't the agave plant from which tequila, mezcal, and related spirits are made — it's only distantly related, and the proof is in sotol's flavor differences from mezcal and tequila. Sotol is typically softer in flavor and can include herbaceous and earthy notes. While the traditional way to drink this spirit is neat, Gerardo Ruelas likes to enjoy his sotol a little differently.

Ruelas is a fourth-generation master sotol maker (sotolero in Spanish), and he prefers to enjoy sotol in cocktails — especially the bloody Mary and Negroni. His family has been making sotol in Chihuahua, Mexico, for more than 100 years, and he learned the craft from his father while still young. Additionally, Ruelas has worked with the Casa Lotos and Flor del Desierto brands, and he has produced his own products through Casa Ruelas in Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico. 

Given this dedication to the craft, it may seem surprising that he'd prefer sotol in a cocktail, but he has his reasons. "I like it when bartenders bring their own passion to sotol," Ruelas told Chowhound (via an interpreter) at a recent sotol distillation demo for the sustainable sotol brand Casa Lotos in Manhattan. "It's a fusion between their knowledge and mine to take it to a different level."

Sotol is often sipped neat from a small glass, but it's also enjoyed mixed with sparkling water and imbibed after a night of too much drinking — a kind of hair of the dog. For Gerardo Ruelas, sotol can be the basis for a myriad of cocktails. The Negroni is a good example. Unlike the classic version, which includes gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, the sotol version is a variation of the white Negroni. It includes sotol, Lillet Blanc, and Suze, a French aperitif liqueur, and it was served at the Casa Lotos event held at the Consulate General of Mexico in Manhattan.

The Casa Lotos event took place during Sotol Week 2025 in New York City, which attracted more than 70 bars and restaurants to a variety of limited-edition cocktails made with the spirit. Sotol can easily replace tequila or mezcal in classics such as the margarita or paloma, but for a more forward taste, you can put a spin on ranch water by combining sotol with lime and Topo Chico mineral water. Even the bloody Mary can be transformed — simply swap out the vodka for sotol in your favorite recipe. As a sotol maker, Ruelas sees bartenders crafting sotol cocktails as a game between both parties, saying, "My magic in the spirit and their magic in the mixology."