Pulque: 멕시코의 고대 음료의 부활: 풀케

### 풀케의 부활: 멕시코의 고대 음료, 현대의 도전에 직면하다
* 🌱 멕시코의 아가베 식물은 **데킬라, 메스칼 등 인기 있는 증류주의 원료**가 되기도 하지만, 인기가 감소하고 있는 고대 발효 음료인 **풀크도 생산**합니다.
* 🍺 1800년대 후반 멕시코에서 가장 많이 소비되던 알코올 음료였던 **풀케는 잘못된 소문과 맥주 업계와의 경쟁**으로 인해 명성이 떨어지면서 소비량이 크게 감소했습니다.
* 📉 이러한 어려움에도 불구하고 현재 멕시코의 젊은이들은 **2,000년 이상 된 풀케를 다시 부활시키고 있으며, 숙련된 장인 정신이 필요하지만 다른 제품보다 생산이 더 간단**합니다.
* 👨 멕시코 중부의 풀케 생산자인 파블로 모랄레스 로드리게스는 **풀케로 발효되는 고품질 아가베를 추출하기 위해서는 적절한 시기에 수확**하여 고품질의 아구아미엘을 추출하는 것이 중요하다고 강조합니다.
* 🥤 생산 과정에는 편의를 위해 병을 사용하여 아구아미엘을 추출하는 과정이 포함되며, 기상 조건이 복잡할 수 있지만 **평균적으로 아가베 식물은 매일 4~6리터의 수액**을 생산합니다.
* 📉 일련의 정부 캠페인과 맥주의 등장으로 **20세기 초 연간 5억 리터에 달하던 풀크 생산량**은 1950년대에는 **42,000에이커에 불과한 재배 용설란**으로 급격히 감소했습니다.
* 🍹 최근 모렐리아의 칵툭스(Cactux)와 같은 식당에서는 **다양한 맛을 내는 품종**을 도입하고 **전통을 되살리려는 젊은 고객**을 유치함으로써 **풀크의 활성화**를 돕고 있습니다.
* 🌍 풀크가 미국 시장에 등장하기 시작했지만 **유통기한이 3일로 짧아 글로벌 확장에 어려움**을 겪고 있으며, **새로운 세대가 풀크 생산 기술을 배워야 할 필요성**이 강조되고 있습니다.

한때 멕시코에서 가장 많이 소비된 음료였던 풀케가 자신의 뿌리와 다시 연결되기를 열망하는 멕시코 젊은이들 사이에서 다시 부활하고 있습니다.

Narrator: This is the agave plant from Mexico. It's used to make two of North America's most popular spirits, tequila and mezcal. It's also the main ingredient in one of Mexico's oldest fermented drinks, pulque. Pulque isn't nearly as popular as the other two, but that wasn't always the case. In the late 1800s, pulque was Mexico's most consumed alcoholic drink. But because of false rumors, its reputation as a drink for the poor, and competition from the beer industry, pulque almost completely disappeared. Narrator: Now, young Mexicans are fueling a renaissance of the dying drink. But can pulque become a global hit like tequila and mezcal? And how, against all odds, is it still standing? Between tequila, pulque, and mezcal, pulque is the oldest, dating back at least 2,000 years.

Even though all three drinks are made from the agave plant, the way they are made makes them taste different. Mezcal gets its smoky flavor from roasting the heart, or the piña, of the agave plant, while the tequila gets its sweet fruitiness from steaming it. Both liquors also have complex distillation processes that can take weeks to complete and result in spirits that contain as much as 55% alcohol. Pulque, on the other hand, is made through natural fermentation, which gives it a slightly sour taste and a much lower alcohol content, around 4%. I haven't tasted anything quite like pulque. Something like, it's slimy, a little bit thick, a little bit heavy on the gut, but yet it's so tasty. Narrator: Pulque is also much simpler to make than tequila or mezcal. But producing it still requires the skilled hands of an expert.

And Pablo Morales Rodríguez knows exactly what to do. He's been producing pulque in the town of Amealco de Bonfil in central Mexico for the last eight years. Narrator: The secret lies in precisely when to cut the agave, or maguey, as it's locally known. Pablo has to cut the plant at just the right age to extract the best aguamiel, the sweet sap the agave secretes that ferments into pulque. If he cuts the agave too early, it could produce low-quality aguamiel. If he cuts it too late, the agave might not produce any sap. Pablo uses a metal tool to scrape the heart of the agave. Narrator: The agave is typically left to rest for anywhere from three months to a year to secrete enough aguamiel to fill the cavity. But beating the bugs has made this more difficult for Pablo.

Narrator: After three months, it's time to extract the aguamiel from the agave. Pablo places an empty bottle with a hose into the cavity. Narrator: This technique has been used by pulque producers, known as tlachiqueros, for centuries. Traditionally, they would use a hollow gourd called an acocote for this step. But Pablo says using an empty bottle is more convenient. Narrator: Once the cavity is empty, he scrapes the sides again to stimulate more aguamiel production. At this stage, the average agave plant can produce anywhere from 4 to 6 liters of the sap a day. Pablo collects it two to three times a day, but unpredictable weather makes it more difficult. If rain gets into the cavity, it could spoil the aguamiel. Narrator: Nicknamed the drink of the gods, pulque was once consumed during sacred rituals.

in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The drink lost its religious significance after the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, and it gained massive popularity among everyday people. 500 million liters of pulque were being produced in Mexico every single year by the beginning of the 20th century. But a government-driven anti-pulque campaign following the Mexican Revolution devastated the industry. Land reform in the 1920s and 1930s broke up large agave plantations into smaller plots, making industrial production of the drink impossible. Pulque production dropped from 234 million liters in 1929 to 167 million liters the following year. At the same time, the growing popularity of beer dealt another blow to pulque's popularity. The beer industry started rumors about pulque being fermented with feces, and people began associating the drink with poverty, criminality, and low social class.

By the 1950s, only 42,000 acres of agave were being cultivated, less than 7% of what existed in the early 20th century. Narrator: Despite the challenges, Pablo says his family had no intention of leaving pulque behind. Even though people stopped drinking pulque in cities, it was still enjoyed in rural areas, like where Pablo's family is from. It was small-scale producers like them who kept pulque from disappearing completely. Narrator: They continued harvesting their agave plants and fermenting their pulque in small rooms called tinacals, like the one Pablo uses today. He pours fresh aguamiel into a plastic barrel with pulque that's been fermenting for up to three weeks. Narrator: He continues to add fresh aguamiel to the plastic barrel little by little for up to 10 days, depending on how strong he wants the batch.

Narrator: In the past, Pablo's family made money selling to local pulquerias, Mexican taverns that specialize in serving the ancient drink. But these specialty bars have been disappearing in Mexico since the mid-1900s. In 1953, there were over 1,200 pulquerias in Mexico City. Nearly 60 years later, that number had dropped to just 72. Since the 1980s, there has been a growing effort to revive pulque in Mexico. In the 2010s, pulque started experiencing a renaissance. Slowly, young Mexicans in search of ways to connect to their roots began flocking to the drink. Narrator: This sentiment rings true at Cactux, a bar and restaurant in Morelia. It's one of several businesses that have opened in Mexico in recent decades to capitalize on pulque's resurgence. Today, the drink is one of its bestsellers.

Narrator: José Pisano Mancera has been working at Cactux since it opened. It's also where he had his first sip of pulque. Narrator: Cactux is one of many businesses in Mexico putting a spin on the traditional drink by offering different flavors, like strawberry, mango, and pineapple. Jose says he's been seeing more young people coming in to try the drink. Narrator: Places like Cactux are also on the front lines of dismissing rumors about the drink. Narrator: He believes one day, pulque will get the same global recognition as tequila and mezcal. And while those spirits are also served here, for some customers, pulque is in a class of its own. Luis: Pulque, it's something so unique, so Mexican. I feel like there is nothing that can replicate the flavor of pulque, of good pulque. Narrator: Like its descendants, tequila, and mezcal,

pulque is finding its way to store shelves and bars in the US as well. This could be a game changer for the ancient drink, as tequila and mezcal brands have had massive success in the States. In 2023, the US was the biggest market for mezcal and the leading recipient of Mexican tequila exports. Multiple brands have even started selling canned pulque. But expanding pulque globally has proven to be more difficult than tequila and mezcal, mainly because pulque has a shelf life of about three days. Narrator: But for him, making pulque is a labor of love. Narrator: For now, Pablo is more concerned with keeping pulque-making alive and well in Mexico. Narrator: But finding the next generation of pulque producers may be the next challenge for the industry. While more people are interested in drinking pulque, Pablo says young people haven't shown an interest.

How Tequila And Mezcal’s Ancestor (Pulque) Is Making A Comeback After Near Extinction

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멕시코산 아가베 식물은 데킬라, 메스칼, 풀케를 만드는 데 사용되며, 풀케는 가장 오래되고 한때 멕시코에서 가장 많이 소비되는 알코올 음료였습니다.

풀케의 인기가 하락한 이유는 잘못된 소문과 명성, 맥주 업계와의 경쟁 때문이었습니다.

하지만 최근 멕시코의 젊은이들은 데킬라나 메스칼에 비해 독특한 제조 과정과 낮은 알코올 도수를 가진 풀케를 다시 부활시키고 있습니다.

파블로 모랄레스 로드리게스는 8년 동안 멕시코 아밀레코 데 본필에서 풀크를 생산하며 최적의 아구아미엘 추출을 위해 아가베를 자르는 완벽한 타이밍에 집중해 왔습니다.

파블로는 편의를 위해 빈 병을 사용하여 수액을 추출하는 전통적인 기술을 발전시켰습니다.

예측할 수 없는 날씨와 해충의 간섭이라는 어려움에도 불구하고 그는 매일 4~6리터의 수액 생산을 목표로 하루에 두세 번씩 아구아미엘을 채취합니다.

콜럼버스 이전 메소아메리카의 전통 음료였던 풀케는 스페인 정복 이후 종교적 의미를 잃고 대중 사이에서 인기를 얻었습니다.

1920년대와 1930년대에 정부가 주도한 반풀크 캠페인과 토지 개혁으로 인해 풀크 산업은 황폐화에 직면했고, 생산량이 크게 감소했습니다.

이러한 어려움에도 불구하고 파블로의 가족과 같은 소규모 생산자들은 용설란을 수확하고 티나칼에서 음료를 발효시켜 농촌 지역의 전통을 유지하며 풀케의 명맥을 이어나갔습니다.

멕시코의 전통 선술집인 풀케리아는 1900년대 중반 이후 급격히 감소하여 1953년 1,200여 개였던 멕시코시티의 풀케리아는 2013년에는 72개에 불과했습니다.

1980년대부터 풀케를 되살리려는 노력이 계속되었고, 2010년대에는 멕시코 젊은이들이 자신의 뿌리와 연결되기를 원하면서 르네상스를 맞이했습니다.

모렐리아에 위치한 바 겸 레스토랑인 칵툭스(Cactux)는 데킬라나 메스칼과 같은 세계적인 인지도를 얻기 위해 다양한 맛을 제공하고 젊은 고객을 유치함으로써 풀크의 부활을 활용하고 있습니다.

미국에서 성장하는 Pulque의 존재감

풀케는 데킬라와 메스칼의 성공에 이어 미국 상점 진열대와 바에 진출하고 있습니다.

이 음료는 유통기한이 3일로 짧기 때문에 전 세계로 확장하는 데 어려움이 있습니다.

젊은이들이 전통적인 생산 방식을 배우는 데 거의 관심을 보이지 않아 업계는 차세대 풀크 생산자를 찾아야 하는 과제에 직면해 있습니다.