Many are not aware that Gerald is the headquarters for an international company, Amigo Brands, LLC. President/CEO Ruben Lopez was at The Bistro at the Mill Sunday to promote the company—and offer free samples.

Sunora Bacanora is a liquor made from the agave pacifica plant native to the Mexican state of Sonora. 

Lopez is himself a native of that state and is proud to bring the unique drink to America. He is passionate about his product and quite well-versed in its history. 

With the company headquartered in our town, it seems only prudent to educate ourselves with the product. 

Bacanora is an old drink named after a the town with the same name in Sonora. It was banned in 1915, but became legal again in 1992. That doesn’t mean production stopped in 1915, merely means that it was driven underground. 

Because of its history, Lopez markets his Sunora Bacanora as “The Original Outlaw Spirit.”

Lopez notes bacanora is a cousin of tequila which is made from the blue agave. Other types of liquor derived from the agave include sotol, mezcal and raicilla. All are strictly regulated as to how they can be labeled according to the type of plant from which they are derived and where they are grown. 

For example, bacanora can only be made in the state of Sonora from the agave pacifica plant. 

In our area, Sunora Bacanora can only be purchased at The Bistro at the Mill. It comes in two varieties. Bacanora Blanco is 100 percent agave pacifica and is 84 proof. Cream de Bacanora is a 30 proof mocha cream flavor version.

Learn more about this fascinating liquor in the weeks to come in future articles.