By Alfredo Espinola
Rita Fernanda Fernández López
“My name is Rita, and this project was born from my family,” begins Rita Fernanda Fernández López, creator of Jardín de Mayahuel and the Meyoloctli brand. Her story is deeply linked to the maguey pulquero, a plant that not only feeds but also inspires and sustains life in her community of Singuilucan Hidalgo, Mexico.
The project started as a return to the countryside. "We returned to the ranch and realized that the maguey had almost disappeared. The craft of the tlachiquero was also being lost. For us, it was a necessity and, at the same time, a revelation. We decided to rescue the plant and its culture.”
Caring for, planting, and transforming the maguey became the driving force behind her family's economy. With the aguamiel, they produce maguey honey; with fermentation, authentic pulque, without dilution; and with the surplus, distillates that preserve the essence of the plant. “When there is an abundance and not all the pulque can be sold, we distill it. This way, we avoid waste and obtain a product that preserves and even improves with age.”
The maguey, a mirror of life
Rita speaks of the maguey with the same reverence with which one speaks of life itself. “It is a plant that blooms only once, and when we harvest it, we know that it is the end. But it is also an act of offering; the maguey gives everything, just as a woman does when she feeds and gives life.”
This intimate relationship is woven into her family's commitment: to reforest, replant, and value the work behind every liter of pulque. “Maguey takes up to twenty years to mature. When we sell it at a fair price, we pay better and get people to plant it again. Little by little, the plant returns to our land.”
From tradition to distillation
Curiosity led Rita and her family to explore ancient vestiges of pulque distillation in pre-Hispanic times. “We were fascinated to discover that clay and cane distillers already existed. We made a very small one, 20 liters, wood-fired. From the first time, we fell in love with the result.”
Today they have a 50-liter copper still, with which they produce a noble and sweet distillate that reaches up to 50 proof alcohol. "We drink it straight, or in the country style, with freshly harvested aguamiel. It's ranch cocktail, and it tastes like heaven.”
The distillate also becomes the basis for herbal remedies. Thanks to the knowledge inherited from their grandmother, they make medicinal liqueurs with herbs from the mountains. "These are recipes that cure stomach and uterine ailments, even cases that medicine had given up on. What we receive from the maguey, we give back to the people in the form of health."
A drink with memory
Pulque experienced a period of marginalization after the rise of beer and industrialized beverages. But in every liter of pulque or distillate that Rita offers, the memory of a rural, strong, and resilient Mexico beats. “The maguey concentrates minerals from the earth throughout its life. That is what nourishes us and what makes pulque such a powerful drink.”
For Rita, Meyoloctli is more than a brand: it is a life mission. "This project makes me feel grateful. It unites us as a family, keeps us healthy, and connects us with nature. The maguey plant has empathy for humanity and gives us what we need in abundance. Our duty is to care for it and share it.”
The Legacy
Since 2015, Jardín de Mayahuel has grown thanks to collective work, the support of young people, and the knowledge of their elders. They have learned from mistakes, from lost maguey plants, and from the wisdom of those who taught them with patience and trial and error. Today, they produce pulque distillates, seasonal fruit liqueurs, capulin, plum, apple, pear, aged versions macerated in barrels, and remedies with medicinal plants.
"Each bottle holds history, earth, and life. For me, pulque is a forbidden medicine that heals the body and spirit," Rita says. "The maguey, with its centuries-old patience, teaches us that life is nourished by deep roots and silent offerings. Every drop of aguamiel, every glass of pulque, every distillate, is a heritage to be drunk with respect.”
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