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Mexico’s Creel family launches Acrónimo Sotol
The female-led brand is based in Chihuahua and seeks to elevate sotol alongside other premium Mexican spirits.
Led by Alessandra Camino Creel, Acrónimo Spirits has officially launched today (17 September). The company’s first product is a sotol blanco designed to appeal to a youthful, diverse spirits drinker.
The Creel family legacy spans back to Reuben Creel, who served as Mexico’s US consul during the time of Abraham Lincoln. Alessandra’s great-grandfather Enrique Creel served as the governor, minister of foreign affairs and ambassador for Chihuahua, with the town of Creel named in honour of his role in constructing the Chihuahua-Pacific railroad. That rich family history passes through Alessandra and her brother Jose Luis as they co-found Acrónimo Spirits.
“Our mother is a successful Chihuahua businesswoman, a patron of the arts and an ever-encouraging voice to her five children to carry forth the family legacy by pursuing our own dreams, from a hotelier to a musician, to now sotol producers,” Alessandra said. “We see Chihuahua’s native spirit as an ideal pursuit to contribute to the tapestry of this magical part of Mexico we call home.”
Sotol is produced in a manner similar to Tequila and mezcal, but using the Dasylirion plant, a spiky flowering succulent in the asparagus family, rather than agave. To make Acrónimo Sotol Blanco, Alessandra and Jose Luis worked with Casa Ruelas, a fifth-generation sotol producer.
The debut spirit is crafted from two Dasylirion species. Dasylirion wheeleri is found primarily on the desert floor of Chihuahua, where low rainfall and hot temperatures create earthy notes reflecting the arid, mineral-rich soils. Dasylirion cedrosanum is found in the Sierra Madre Occidental highlands of Chihuahua, where more rainfall, less heat and a higher abundance of nutrients in the soil impart sweet and fruit flavours with floral notes.
“We think those who haven’t tried sotol will find it a very appealing alternative to other Mexican spirits,” said Jose Luis. “The flavour is brighter and smoother than Tequila and much less smoky than mezcal. Sotol was outlawed in Mexico until 1994, so we are excited to introduce US consumers to this unique spirit from the Chihuahuan Desert.”
Acrónimo Sotol is GMO and additive-free, and uses naturally occurring yeast and open-air fermentation tanks. On the nose, it offers dried chilli and subtle smoke with ripe yellow and green fruit adding brightness to the palate. Bottled at 42% ABV, the sotol blanco is listed at US$60 and will initially be available in Florida and California as distributed by Park Street.
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