The story of Comiteco is both a warning and history of spirits in Mexico. The agave-based spirit is made in and around Comitán de Domínguez, Chiapas, from distilling fermented agave sap known as aguamiel. That sounds unappealing, but it’s very different from the stuff you see dripping from pine trees. It’s much more similar to maple syrup and just as traditional. The local tradition was to collect the sap from agaves and ferment it into a lightly alcoholic drink like pulque. 

Once the Spaniards arrived, they started distilling it to wide acclaim. Comiteco grew in production and industrialized early in the 20th century so that volumes were competitive with tequila, but sometime in the 1960s, the industry ran out of agave, and Comiteco was prohibited so that the agave could recover. (Agave requires five to eight years to mature.)

After more than 50 years of hibernation, Comiteco is finally back on the market, available in the U.S. in the form of Comiteco 9 Guardianes. The distillers use a carefully cultivated mother yeast, so expect a strong hint of rum mixed with grass and smoke, and your classic baked agave flavors. Bartenders love the strange set of flavors that you can’t quite put your finger on. Is it a rum, aguardiente, mezcal? With hints of all, it’s something new, yet centuries old—a perfect example of the incredibly diverse and innovative state of Mexican spirits.