The Mexican beverage made from fermented agave sap is pulque. It is produced from aguamiel, the sweet sap collected from certain mature maguey, or agave, plants. The finished drink is typically milky-white, lightly viscous, mildly sour, and relatively low in alcohol, commonly around 2–7% ABV.
Pulque has been made in central Mexico for millennia and held sacred importance in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. It was associated with the maguey goddess Mayahuel and with ritual use by priests, nobility, and selected members of society. After the Spanish conquest, its consumption became more widespread and pulque production became economically important, reaching a peak in the late 19th century.
Pulque is often confused with tequila or mezcal, but the production methods differ. Pulque ferments agave sap, while mezcal is distilled from cooked agave hearts and tequila is a specific distilled spirit made primarily from blue agave. Pulque fermentation traditionally relies on bacteria, including Zymomonas mobilis, rather than ordinary brewing yeast.