Sunora Bacanora
Sunora Bacanora
Looking for an interesting, less-well-known agave spirit to serve at your bar? Consider Bacanora, which is distilled from the Agave Pacifica plant in the Mexican state of Sonora.
“Bacanora is distinctly different than its popular Mexican cousins – tequila and mezcal “ says Ruben Lopez, founder of Amigo Brands LLC, which has introduced two Bacanora beverages to the United States: Sunora Bacanora Blanco and Sunora Cream De Bacanora Mocha.
The Missouri-based company is managed by industry veteran Bob Reider. Well known within the spirits industry, Reider’s background includes senior management positions with Jim Beam Brands, where he served as President of their Mr & Mrs T cocktail division, as well as Senior Vice President of the Company.
Bacanora is grown only in the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico, neighboring with the U.S. state of Arizona. Named after a small Sonoran village more than 300 years ago, Bacanora’s hand-crafted artisan heritage has been passed down for generations and continues to be made only in small batches.
In the early 1900s, the Mexican government, citing immorality and hedonism, outlawed the distilling of Bacanora for nearly a century. Local distillers secretly continued to feed the demand for the “outlaw spirit “ from hidden stills using primitive equipment and production methods. Legend has it that some outlaw distillers were actually hung while other unfortunates faced a firing squad.
In 1992, the Mexican government finally lifted the prohibition against Bacanora. Then in 2005, Bacanora was given its own decree of age and origin (NOM). Today Bacanora can be sold as its own agave category but can only be distilled in certain counties within Sonora.
Sunora Bacanora products are currently being introduced in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Missouri and New Mexico.
To learn more about Sunora Bacanora visit www.sunorabacanora.com