Sí Bacanora

Do you bacanora? If you are unfamiliar with this native and outlaw spirit of Sonora Mexico, please allow me to share the Cliff Notes.

Bacanora is an agave spirit, very similar to softer Mezcals, but distilled from the native Sonoran Desert variety of Agave; the Pacifica or Yaquiana Agave. Although bacanora is hundreds of years old, production was outlawed during the Sonoran Prohibition of 1915 where it was deemed “the drink of the devil.” It remained illegal to produce until 1992. This barely made a dent in actual production levels, it simply forced vinateros (distillers) to hide their operations and run this spirit as moonshiners. If you knew the right people, you could aquire Bacanora from bootleggers selling throughout the region and into the neighboring Southwestern United States for nearly 80 years.

Bacanora has persevered with an official regulatory council being formed in 2006, but nearly 20 years later, it is still somewhat of a new comer to the marketplace in general.

Kilinga is a highly refined artisanal spirit that honors the long tradition of bacanora producers that have come before. I am drawn to the Kilinga Silvestre expression for its beautiful grassy and floral notes which truthfully are best enjoyed neat. So instead of reaching for the constant companion of lime juice, I decided to try something new, and use hominy juice for a freshly harvested corn flavor, drawing forward the unique characteristics from this bacanora expression. What I didn’t expect, was this amazing frothy head, that certainly puts any flip cocktail to shame. When you secure your bottle of Kilinga Bacanora Premium and craft this recipe, be sure to save the hominy for your next batch of pozole or chili con carne!