Monday, November 4, 2024

Traditional pulque bar in Mexico City celebrates 101 years

La Rosita, one of Mexico City’s oldest pulquerías (bars that sell pulque), celebrated its 101st birthday Tuesday with tacos de carnitas, free-flowing pulque, karaoke, and DJs spinning cumbia and rock.

A fermented and slightly alcoholic drink, pulque was popular in Mexico long before the Spanish brought distillation to the country’s shores, aiding the invention of its most famous spirits tequila and mezcal.

Pulque is the fermented sap of agave plants, collected from the center of the agave plant as agua miel, or honey water, and left to ferment until it takes on a slightly tangy, yeasty taste and viscous texture. In Mexico City pulque is often blended with fruit juices to make “curados” — a popular way to drink this ancient beverage.

La Rosita was opened in 1921 by the grandfather of the current owner, Luisito Ortíz, though it began life as La Gran Turca. Chilango magazine suggested it might have been named for one of its owner’s lovers, but it was given its current name in honor of Santa Rosa de Lima.

The walls and ceiling of La Rosita Pulquería are covered in murals representing pre-Hispanic pulque myths while outside, a tile-covered facade is the backdrop to yellow benches set on the sidewalk for patrons.

La Rosita’s walls tell the story of pulque starting with the moon representing a jug of pulque, guarded by a rabbit (in Mexico observers of the moon say they see a rabbit’s face on its surface), that is stolen by a possum. As it drinks from a small hole of the “jug” the moon shrinks to half and then a quarter of its size. What he cannot drink himself he brings back to humankind so that they also might know the glories of pulque.

In post-revolutionary times in Mexico, pulquerías were important gathering points for artists, writers, and thinkers and were often covered with extravagant artwork that represented the current trends in Mexican muralism and what today would be considered street art.

La Rosita’s facade reflects a certain passage of time, but the bar itself continues to delight its guests — regulars and tourists alike.

The bar can be found in Colonia Esperanza in Cuauhtémoc.

With reports from Chilango and Itinerario

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A woman in a blue shirt and temporary wrist band kisses a younger man with sun glasses on the forehead, with an American flag waving in the background.

Hugs Not Walls event briefly reunites families separated by Mexico-US border

0
Members of almost 200 families crossed a makeshift bridge to greet loved ones they hadn't seen in years, in some cases.
The new data shows that the overall 5.8% growth in tourism GDP results from a 7% year-on-year increase in tourism services provided and a 1% rise in tourism goods sold.

Domestic spending buoyed strong growth in the tourism sector this summer

0
Overall tourism consumption in Q2 rose because of increased spending by domestic — not foreign — tourists in Mexico.
A portrait of Ernesto Zedillo

Former President Zedillo slams Sheinbaum’s judicial overhaul in new op-ed

12
President Sheinbaum is on the wrong side of a constitutional crisis, the former Mexican president argued in a Washington Post essay this week.