By Alfredo Espinola
When Humberto Núñez Salas talks about Penca Larga, his voice conveys a mixture of pride, determination, and faith that only accompanies those who have fought to blaze a trail in uncharted territory. “I am one of the brand's partners, along with Alexis Jiménez, and I currently run the company,” he says. "I am involved in everything: production, sales, marketing. Although there are people in charge of each area, in the end, I am the one who supervises and accompanies the team."
The story of Penca Larga begins with an attempt to export Mexican products to the United States: mole, chilies, sauces, pinole. But one detail caught the attention of the young entrepreneurs: pulque, that ancient Mexican drink, had no international presence. “We realized that there was only one canned brand on the US market. We saw an opportunity there.”
What at first seemed simple, bottling pulque like bottling beer, became a journey of trial and error. “Pulque is a living product, complex to stabilize,” recalls Núñez. “It took us more than 200,000 bottles to get it right. But in the end, we found the right process, with the help of chemical engineers, microbiologists, and agronomists from Chapingo.” The result: a 100% natural pulque with the shelf life necessary to cross borders and meet international standards.
Bottled tradition, local impact
The heart of Penca Larga beats in the countryside. The company buys raw materials from producers in Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and the State of Mexico, supporting communities that sometimes had to discard liters of pulque due to lack of sales. “We have been able to find a market for their production, and that helps preserve the drink as part of the country's living culture,” he says.
The impact transcends borders. In 2023, the brand received the “Agave de Oro” award in Dubai, recognition that confirms that pulque can conquer palates beyond Mexico. However, it has not been easy. “In Europe and Central America, people know about tequila and mezcal, but explaining what pulque is requires constant cultural marketing.”
Challenges, myths, and new generations
In Mexico, the biggest obstacle has been perception. For decades, smear campaigns promoted by the beer industry sowed myths that still persist. “That pulque is fermented with dolls filled with cow excrement... Something totally false, but which damaged the reputation of the drink,” Núñez laments.
Penca Larga's strategy has been to reach out to young people. “It works for us to be at fairs and events, giving them a taste of the product. Many come with preconceptions, but after the first sip, they change their minds. They like it because it's a lighter pulque, pasteurized, easy on the stomach, and with the advantage of being bottled, you can keep it in your refrigerator.”
Innovation without losing its roots
In addition to natural pulque, Penca Larga offers flavors such as oatmeal, passion fruit, guava, piña colada, and grape. They are also working on new developments, from pulque distillates to non-alcoholic beverages rich in vegetable protein. “We want to take advantage of the full potential of this ancient drink, exploring paths that people have never imagined,” he explains.
The market has responded, and the brand is now available in bars and restaurants in Mexico City, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Cancun, and Tijuana, as well as in several states in the United States, countries in Europe, and Central America. In cocktail bars, pulque is beginning to reinvent itself as a versatile and innovative ingredient. “Pulque is the perfect companion for Mexican food,” says Núñez with a smile.
A vision for the future
Looking ahead, Humberto Núñez is emphatic: “We want to be the leading company in this category that is just beginning to exist. No one else in Mexico has the installed capacity that we have today. The goal is that when someone thinks of bottled pulque, they think of Penca Larga.”
For him, pulque is more than a business; it is liquid history. “It is a drink full of myths and beliefs, of gods and rabbits, of haciendas and traditions. It was overtaken by beer, but today it is being reborn in new generations. For me, every bottle of pulque is a bridge between the memory of our ancestors and the tables of the world.”
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