Pulqueria

Pulquerias are a type of tavern that specialize in serving the alcoholic drink pulque. They existed in Mexico from early colonial rule and remained extremely popular until the mid twentieth century, and were places where Mexicans could socialize. Pulquerias were characterized by extravagant decorations and names, drinking, music, dancing, gambling, fighting, crime, sexual promiscuity, and more. Pulquerias can be seen as microcosms of everyday life and culture in Mexico. The authorities throughout Mexican history always saw them as threats to the social order and the progress of the nation. Because of this, numerous restrictions were put on pulquerias and the sale of pulque. The relationship between the Mexican authorities and the pulquerias, how that relationship changed over time, and the people's reaction to the governmental change can all be seen within the microcosm that is the pulqueria. Today, there are very few pulquerias left in Mexico.

Pulque Production

Pulque is a milky, foamy, alcoholic beverage native to central Mexico made from the fermentation of sap from the maguey plant.^[1] Although it is similar to tequila and mescal in this respect, it has a much lower alcohol content: between 3 and 4%.^[2] The maguey plant flourishes in hot climates with little to no water, as the plant stores water very well, much like a cactus.^[3] The plant grows slowly and the sap must be removed shortly before the plant flowers.^[4] Once the sap removal begins, the plant produces "about a half gallon [of sap] a day for three months."^[4] A worker called the tlachiquero "scrapes off the center of the plant to extract the liquid previously mentioned, with a tool that looks like a spoon called a tlaquiche. He then collects it in a hollow bowl called an acocote, to then be placed in a container called an odre."^[5] The containers used for the fermentation process are usually made from animal skins, usually from cows. These are used because of their ability to keep the sap at a consistent temperature: they also provide the sap with necessary beneficial bacteria that help the taste and consistency.^[4] It naturally ferments in less than twenty four hours.^[4] Because of the fact that pulque spoils quickly (about twenty four hours), every step in the pulque industry must be in close in proximity.^[4] The maguey plants, the production and distribution facilities, and the places where the pulque is distributed to must all be relatively close together. The taste of pulque can be described as having a slightly sour flavor.^[6] Often pure pulque is mixed with fruit juices and other foods to create different flavors.^[4]

Pulque in Pre-Spanish Conquest

Pulque has been drunk in the lands of central Mexico and other parts of Mesoamerica from before the times of the Aztecs, who regarded the maguey plant as a godly gift.^[4] Although the natives originally had many uses for the maguey plant, the sap became the most sacred and important part of the plant because of its intoxicating qualities.^[4] The Aztecs strictly controlled the consumption of the drink, regulating who could drink, when people could drink, how much people could drink, and even how people could drink.^[4] Priests and warriors were the only ones allowed to drink "gods' beverage" on any day other than very special occasions.^[4] Many times, prisoners who were about to be sacrificed were given pulque to in order to further please the gods.^[4] Other more ordinary people who drank pulque more often were the elderly, the sick and pregnant women, because of the belief that the drink had healing powers.^[4] People were not allowed to drink in excess, as drunkenness was highly looked down on and only allowed for ritual practicing priests.^[4] Because of this "Aztecs permitted four cups at the most and controlled the size according to age and gender."^[4] When drinking pulque during Aztec times, it was also required to pour the beverage on the ground, typically in the four sides of the room a person was in.^[4] Pulque is also found in some Aztec legends. As the myth goes, the god Quetzalcoatl was tricked into getting intoxicated by drinking pulque and had sexual relations with a goddess. Embarrassed, Quetzalcoatl banished himself to the sea, saying he would return one day to get his revenge.Coincidently, the year he was said to return was remarkably the same year Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico in 1519. The Mural of the Drinkers found in the Great Pyramid of Cholula also depicts the drinking of pulque during the time of the Aztecs.^[7] The Mural of the Drinkers "portrays a feasting scene with figures wearing elaborate turbans and masks drinking pulque and performing other ritual activities. It has been suggested that the scene portrays pulque deities."^[8]

Pulque in Colonial Mexico: Start of Pulquerias

The Spanish conquest of Mexico and the Aztecs certainly changed every aspect of the native population's lives. The Spanish were trying to modernize and develop Mexico, focusing a lot of their attention on what became Mexico City. This conquest and development opened the door and provided a lot of the native population with work and leisure that was previously unavailable to them.^[4] Construction of buildings and other infrastructure brought a lot of new people into the city.^[4] Along with development and modernization, the Spanish also brought with them Catholicism. With Catholicism there came a lot of festivals and celebrations in which pulque was heavily drunk.^[4] Also, unlike the Aztecs, the Spanish were not prohibiting the consumption of alcohol at all.^[4] So now common people were allowed to drink as much pulque as they wished. With all these new and more urban workers, and with the increase of money and free time they had to spend, consumption of pulque saw a huge increase.  Soon after the conquest by the Spanish, people started selling pulque in the streets and by the 1530s there were twelve pulque stands operating in the city.^[4]

By the 1550s the number of stands had more than doubled.^[9] Petitions eventually allowed for the stands to become permanent and fixed instead of mobile.^[10] With the implementation of the stands (both fixed and mobile), pulque consumption, especially in Mexico City, skyrocketed. Well over 100 stands, both licensed and unlicensed, operated throughout Mexico City by the mid 1600s.^[4]  Pulque and these first primitive pulquerias were firmly establishing themselves as a mainstay in the urban setting. "Some had already the form of taverns where patrons could take a seat and interact with each other."^[4] This was the start of pulquerias becoming a big part of popular culture. The drink also spread among different classes and ethnicities during this time. People including low-class Spaniards, criollos, blacks, and castas would take part in drinking pulque.^[11] These outdoor stands eventually evolved to fit the needs of the customers. The stands' owners started to build walls and ceilings surrounding their establishments in order to protect the customers from the weather, as well as to keep the customers hidden from the public's and authorities' view.^[12] Also, the taverns began to serve food and employed attractive women to serve the pulque.^[13] The implementation of seats and music were also eventually added over time. All of these innovations certainly established  the pulqueria as permanent fixtures of the society and greatly increased in popularity. Pulquerias soon became a main place to socialize for the urban masses and had a unifying aspect for these people. However, for the elite, authorities, and church, the popularity of the pulquerias was seen as a "threat to the social order and the status quo" of the cities.^[14] For these groups of higher social status, pulquerias represented laziness, animalistic sexuality, and general degenerative behavior that prohibits the progress of the society.  The Spanish started to enact rules and regulations in the late 1600s limiting the number of pulquerias, the amount of storage rooms for extra pulque, and the elimination of seats.^[15] However, these restrictions did not reduce the popularity of pulquerias and many people continued to frequent them. Pulquerias and what they represented continued to be a main source of contention between the Spanish authority and the urban masses through the Bourbon period until Mexican independence was finally gained.

Pulquerias After Independence

The beginning of independent Mexico saw an decrease inregulations imposed on pulquerias. This was because of the lack of strong central government in the newly independent state, as well as political and economic advantages that the governors saw by doing so.^[16] The second half of the nineteenth century saw a huge increase in pulquerias in Mexico City because of the lack of regulations and the fact that the city was growing at this time. Before, the established pulquerias remained on the outskirts of the city. During this time, however, pulquerias made their way into the heart of the city.^[16] By 1900 the number of pulquerias in Mexico City had grown to nearly 1,000.^[17] This great number of pulquerias in Mexico City meant that there would be nearly one on every corner. This time is also when pulquerias gained the character that they are known for. They started to develop the elaborate décor and the interesting names that that are associated with them. ^[18] Both inside and out the pulquerias were decorated with very colorful and extravagant murals and the names of the pulquerias started to become more elaborate to attract potential customers. The names of pulquerias are quite important to their identity and often are representative of contemporary popular culture in Mexico. The names not only told the customers what they could expect when entering that particular pulqueria but also made references to popular literature, the stage, or international figures or events. Opera titles such as Norma, Semiramide, or La Traviata were used as pulqueria names. Don Quixote and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were also used as names of pulquerias.^[19] Names that translate into The Great Napoleon and Mexico's Former Glories were common.^[20] Other names included Get out if you Can and The Assault^[21]

Many of the names written on the walls of the outside of the pulquerias were misspelled.^[22] This is testament to the poor level of literacy in Mexico at the time. Inside the pulqueria the barrels of pulque were also given names depending on how strong the pulque inside was. Names of these barrels such as "The pulque of the tough ones" or the "whining female" told the customers what they could expect to taste from each barrel of pulque.^[22] The pulquerias were decorated with extravagant paintings on the walls were often references to the name of the tavern. Another common subject for the decorations inside pulquerias was paintings of the Virgin of Guadalupe.^[23]

Daytime in the Pulqueria

The day's delivery of pig-skin sacks of pulque in carts pulled by donkeys or mules would arrive at the pulquerias by eight or nine in the morning.^[24] The workers would clean the pulqueria and then put the newly bought pulque in the respective barrels. After that, the cooks would start preparing the dishes and meals that the pulqueria sold to the customers. The pulquerias served a variety of different dishes including, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, tostados, sopes, mole poblano, chalupas, and more.^[25] Starting by 10 in the morning, customers started to shuffle into the pulquerias. The first customers, from around ten to eleven, were usually Indians coming in from surrounding areas outside the city. After they sold their fruits and vegetables in the morning they would come to the pulquerias and enjoy food and pulque.^[26] "After noon, chinas [girls wearing the traditional dress], charros, artisans, and many other invaded" the pulquerias.^[27] Throughout the day and into the night the pulquerias would serve various members of society. "Crowds of maids, servants, butchers, artisans, vendors, kids, thieves, guards, prostitutes, and honorable members of the 'gente decente' appeared in dappled skin colors and clothing styles."^[27] Customers would eat, drink, dance, sing, gamble, fight, take part in crime, and do everything imaginable. One could see people from all walks of life when entering a pulqueria. What went on inside the pulqueria was very much a microcosm of Mexico's society and culture in general. The day in the pulqueria usually ended sometime shortly after sunset after eight at night.^[28] People would gradually leave the pulqueria. Some were so drunk that they slept in the entryway of the pulqueria or on the street nearby.

Pulquerias and the Liberal Reform During the Porfiriato (1876-1911)

Porfirio Díaz's regime as leader of Mexico was from 1876 to 1911 and its main goal in the country was that of order and progress.^[29] In particular, Díaz wanted to bring Mexico into the industrial world. Vices such as drunkenness, laziness, and promiscuity were all things that were seen as holding the country back. The era of the Porfiriato wanted its people to be productive, upstanding members of society. Much like the Spanish authority, the Porfirian government and elites saw pulquerias a main source of things retarding the beneficial progress of the city and the nation. Because of this view, around the turn of the twentieth century there was an increase in various reforms and regulations centered upon the limiting distribution of pulque, and the use and role of pulquerias. Pulquerias had to be licensed and be located at least 60 m (200 ft) from each other. Opening hours were restricted to between 6.00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., thus forcing them to close before most workers left their jobs.^[30] There were also many restrictions on the location of pulquerias. There were certain areas of the city that were forbidden to pulquerias. In particular, these restricted areas were those surrounding the Alameda central park, because the Mexican authority did not want the beauty of this area spoiled by what they considered were undesirable things that were associated with pulquerias. Overall, the Porfirian reforms enacted to directly limit the influence of pulquerias during the Porfiriato did not do much to reduce the popularity of the pulquerias within Mexico City and the rest of the country.^[31] The Porfiriato did, however, help start to push Mexico into more modern attitudes which indirectly led to the diminished popularity of pulquerias.

Decline of Pulquerias

By the mid 1900s, as Mexico started to industrialize and become a more modern nation, the consumption of pulque and the popularity of pulquerias had greatly declined. This is directly related to the increase in production and popularity of beer in Mexico.^[31] As factories started to establish themselves, and migrants started to come into Mexico, the beer industry certainly started to greatly expand in the nation. Beer soon replaced pulque as the alcoholic drink of choice in the country. Because of this pulquerias became less and less popular, and were seen as a thing of the past. By the 1930s, there was a steep decline in the number of pulquerias in Mexico City, and today there are very few of them left.^[31]

Pulquerias Today

There are very few pulquerias found within Mexico City today.^[31] Today they are there more for nostalgia than anything else. It is a way to remind the people of the Mexican past. Today, pulquerias are described as places that young hipsters like to attend.^[32] Even though pulquerias still have a small group of people that enjoy the old style Mexican tavern, the pulqueria is really a thing of the past. "Pulqueria owners estimate that only 100 such places are left in Mexico."^[32]

References

Bibliography

• Garay, Maria Aurea Toxqui El Recreo de los Amigos: Mexico City's Pulquerias during the Liberal Republic (1856-1911) UMI Dissertation Publishing, 2011 ISBN 978-1243970480