Drinking Traditions of Mexico City: 6 Local Beverages

At 2,240 meters above sea level, Mexico City’s drinking culture reflects highland days, cool nights, and a capital that draws traditions from every corner of the country. Markets, cantinas, and pulquerías set the pace: midday refreshment, late-afternoon snacks, and long evenings of conversation.

Maguey sap arrives from plateau fields, agave spirits come from southern hills, and street ferments chill in ice-filled barrels. Weekends gather families around botanas, while nights lean into slow sips, live music, and ritual toasts that tie food, season, and place together.

Pulque is a naturally fermented drink made from fresh aguamiel, the sap of maguey pulquero (often Agave salmiana). Wild yeasts and bacteria convert sugars over 12–48 hours into a viscous, lightly effervescent beverage that ranges from about 3–7% ABV. Expect lactic tang, green-herbal notes, and a faint sweetness. In Mexico City, producers truck in aguamiel daily from highland states such as Hidalgo and Tlaxcala, whose semi-arid climate favors maguey cultivation. Because pulque spoils quickly, freshness dictates when and where you drink it.

Pulquerías around the Centro and Doctores neighborhoods serve pulque ‘natural’ or as curados—blended with fruits (guava, strawberry), oats, nuts, or celery. The atmosphere is daytime-into-afternoon: tin mugs or glass tarros, botanas of peanuts or chiles, and murals on the walls. Historic spots like Las Duelistas and La Hija de los Apaches illustrate pulque’s urban revival after decades of decline. Locals come for a restorative midday glass, especially on warm days, or to pair with barbacoa and tlacoyos on weekends.

Mezcal is a distilled agave spirit, commonly 40–55% ABV, produced by roasting agave hearts (piñas) in earthen pits, crushing the cooked fibers (often by tahona), fermenting in open wooden vats with wild yeasts, and distilling in copper or clay pot stills. While much originates in Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico City’s mezcalerías showcase a spectrum of agaves—espadín, tobalá, madrecuishe—each with distinct terroir. Aromas range from citrus and smoke to clay, roasted agave, and minerality.

In the capital, mezcal is typically sipped neat in small copitas or veladoras with orange slices and sal de gusano. Specialist bars in Roma, Condesa, and Coyoacán host guided flights and explain labels (NOM, batch size, maestro mezcalero). Evenings are the prime window, when cooler air suits contemplative drinking. Pair mezcal with tlayudas or citrusy ceviches to highlight its structure. Many venues offer ‘madurado en vidrio’ expressions—rested in glass to soften edges—alongside joven bottlings that emphasize raw agave character.

Tequila is made from blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana), cooked in brick ovens or autoclaves, milled, fermented, and double-distilled—usually in copper. In Mexico it is commonly bottled at 35–40% ABV. Styles include blanco (unaged), reposado (2–12 months in oak), añejo (1–3 years), and extra añejo (3+ years). Blanco tequilas show peppery, vegetal agave notes; reposados add vanilla and baking spice; añejos layer caramel, dried fruit, and oak.

In Mexico City, tequila shines in historic cantinas where the social ritual is as important as the spirit. Order it neat with sangrita, or as a ‘bandera’—three glasses in Mexico’s colors: lime, tequila, sangrita. Cantinas like La Opera Bar in the Centro Histórico and Salón Tenampa near Plaza Garibaldi serve rounds accompanied by botanas that arrive as you keep ordering. Afternoons through late evening are busiest, especially on weekends when mariachi spill into the streets and tequila becomes a communal toast.

Tepache is a low-alcohol ferment (about 0.5–3% ABV) made from pineapple rinds macerated with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) and spices such as cinnamon and clove. Fermentation is spontaneous and short—typically 24–72 hours—producing a lightly tart, gently sweet, spiced beverage with soft fizz and tropical aroma. Vendors often prepare it in large barrels or plastic jugs packed with ice, a practical response to the valley’s dry-season warmth.

In Mexico City, you’ll find tepache at street stands, neighborhood markets, and even aboard Xochimilco’s trajineras in hotter months. It is served cold in cups or bags, sometimes ‘con piquete’—spiked with a shot of tequila or a splash of beer for extra bite. Drinkers pair tepache with antojitos like quesadillas or elote, using its acidity to cut through masa and cheese. Early afternoon is ideal, when fermentation is fresh and the sun demands something cooling but not heavy.

Rompope is a custard-like liqueur, typically 15–20% ABV, believed to have originated in 17th-century convents in Puebla (famously Santa Clara). It blends milk, egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla with a spirit base (often cane aguardiente or rum). The result is velvety and aromatic, with warm spice, almond-like richness (sometimes actual almond), and a lingering sweetness that makes it both a dessert and a digestif.

In Mexico City, rompope appears in dulcerías, bakeries, and markets year-round, with a surge during posadas and Christmas. It’s sipped chilled in small glasses, folded into tres leches and flans, or churned into paletas. Families may keep a bottle on hand for toasts at baptisms and quinceañeras, where a gentle liqueur suits mixed-age gatherings. If you prefer less sweetness, look for artisanal bottlings with pronounced spice and a cleaner finish, ideal after rich holiday meals.

The everyday backbone is beer—pale Mexican lagers around 4–5% ABV—but Mexico City gives them a local twist. A chelada is beer over ice with lime and salted rim; a michelada adds savory depth: Worcestershire (salsa inglesa), Maggi seasoning, hot sauce, and sometimes chile on the rim. The ‘cubana’ leans spicier and saltier; clamato versions bring briny tomato tang. The result is bracing, citrusy, and umami-rich, designed to refresh and reset the palate.

Micheladas are ubiquitous in neighborhood bars, stadiums, street puestos, and casual marisquerías. They pair naturally with tacos al pastor, chicharrón, or aguachile—the acidity and spice cut through fat and heat. Daytime and early evening are peak hours, especially in warm weather when outdoor tables fill. For a capital-specific flourish, try a gomichela: a tamarind-and-chile candy rim that adds sweet-sour chew as you sip, a playful counterpoint to the lager’s crispness.