Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-27

The special drinks of Mexico are
pulque, mescal and tequiIa. Properly
speaking, pulque is the national drink.
In Consular Reports for July Thomas
T. CTittenden has a very interesting ar
ticIe regarding the manufacture of
pulque in Mexico. In order to supply
information as to the character of the
drink he reprinted an article taken
from the Deutsche Zeitung Won Mex
leo, the editor Of which, Professor
Adam E. Schultz, has dealt generously
with the salient points about mescaI
and teQuila. Mr.. Crittenden supple
mented his own report on pulque.
The mescal plant, a near relative of
the maguey, the juice of which fur
nishes the celebrated pulque. differs
in form from the latter in so far that
its thick leaves possess a blush tint
and grow almost perpendicu'.r, while
those of the pulque plant bend their
leaves from above downward.
Both plants yield a revenue for the
happy possessors thereof which can be
called princely. And both grow in
poor, dry soil exposed to the rays of
the sum- and extract from the soil. The
first the uncommonly high alcoholic
contents in the flesh of the heart of it,
similar to the saccharine matter Of tie
sugar cane, and the latter a direct
sweetish-sour juice which collects in
the heart of the plant and is collected
from it by means of a very simple
sucking apparatus, operated by the
mouth of the peOn; but not in such a
manner that the sap enters the lips of
the same, as is believed by so many.
who object to drinking it on that ac-
/ count. From these siphons it is
emptied into skins and brought to the
hacienda and subjected to a certain
process of fermentation lasting from
two to three hours. Then the Juice,
now called pulque, is transported as
quickly as possible to the places of
consumption, for it's drinkaOility does
not last longer than a day. and it be-
comes then unstable. AS tastes differ,
it is necessary that pulque be actually
imbibed in order to be able to judge as
to its flavor. The best pulque resem-
bles in looks thick green-fOdder milk.
and as it contains much sediment. it
necessitates the shaking of the bottle
before drinking it, that not too much of
the former be swallowed at one gulp
or indigestion, weakness of stomach,
aye, even for consumption, it is said
that pulque acts very beneficially, and
the numerous credible persons who
! civ l,o1,
this, cause the fact to hardly admit of
any doubt. Still less can It's 1utritive
qualities be doubted when beholding
the thousands ard thousands vino sub
sist almost entirely on pulque, tortillas,
frijOles and chile, who are robust and
quite strong. Unfortunately, the eX-
cessiye drinking of it, owing to its
cheapness- tumblerful costing but 1
cent-causes much drunkenness. Thus
the sight of drunkards is one of the
most frequent occurrences; this the
more so as pulquersias are dissemin-
ated as thickly as beer saloons in many
/ foreign cities, and the quarrels result
ing in consequence often cause in one
day more than hundred arrests, with
most of these prisoners wounded.
before the pulque plant offers its
juice to humanity, it must have at
tanned an age of from to II years,
after which time it's productiveness
lasts until it yields from 125 to 100
gallons, sold at the hacienda itself at s
cents per gallon, certainly fine reve-
nue. for every plant. Young plants
shoot up at all times, thus furnishing
plants necessary for future harvest.
The genuine mescal plant, or perhaps
more fifty called whisky plant needs ut
/ least ten years before it can be cut
This is done by cutting the whole plant
just below the heart; then the leaves
are cut away from the latter about two
inches from the core, they containing
up to that distance the alcoholic sap.
The heart is then split into two or mere
! pieces, according to it's size, and trans
ported to the distillery on the backs of
mules or donkeys. There have been
found some mescal plants whose hearts
weighed 1900 pounds, and where one
plant produced one barrel of whisky.
/ These weights are very rare, however.
The first thing seen upon entering
the yard of the distillery is basin-like
hole in the ground, about four feet deep
and having a diameter of from ten to
fifteen feet. Upon the bottom big piles
Of wood are laid, and upon these large
fiat stones. The wood is kindled, ard
when the stones are thoroughly heated
/ the agave hearts are placed upon them
and remain there for about fourteen
Iours, for so long will the fire last.
/ The hearts are covered with mats,
! sacks and loose earth, and before this
covering IS removed at least ten hours
must elapse to give the plants sufficient
+ time to become thoroughly steamed.
After the mass has cooled off it is
transferred to another basin. similarly
constructed, but having in the middle,
/ firmly imbedded, a massive stanchion,
10 which a revolving pole is attached,
moving a heavy, round stone. To the
projecting end two oxen are yoked to
set the whole in motion, TO assist
which a boy sits on the inner end of
the pole, provided with a long staff
having a sharp prong at the end, in
case these animals come to a sudden
halt when the ponderous stone bangs
against a big pile of the mescaIs that
have become slowed in front of it. By
this process the hearts are reduced to
a pulp. A peon walks backward in
front Of the revolving pole with rake,
in order tn SDread the mass a 6 evenly