Above: Oscar’s Raicilla, at an outdoor tasting bar on Isla Cuale in Puerto Vallarta - ANDREW HARPER EDITOR

The state of Jalisco is home to the town of Tequila and the eponymous spirit, but it also produces a unique and lesser-known distillate: raicilla. The liquor’s history dates back centuries, but it was only in June 2019 that it was officially recognized with a Denominación de Origen status. Before then, despite the fine examples available, raicilla was illegal and regarded as moonshine!

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