sotol

noun

so·​tol ˈsō-ˌtōl 

1

: any of several plants (genus Dasylirion) of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that are related to the agave and are often grown for ornament or to produce an alcoholic beverage

2

: an alcoholic beverage especially of northern Mexico that is made from the distilled fermented sap of a sotol (such as Dasylirion wheeleri)

Examples of sotol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, many of the city’s top bartenders have an eye on promoting and utilizing sotol, bacanora and raicilla as local imbibers become more educated about trying Mexican spirits beyond tequila and mezcal. —Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2025

Here’s a few more ways to make this cocktail your own: Swap tequila for mezcal or sotol, two different Mexican spirits, each with their own distinct flavor. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 May 2025

As a result, spirits made from dasylirion may be called sotol across the border. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 20 May 2025

Clean, crisp, and earthy without being bland, this sotol has been in the hands of the Ruelas family for generations. —airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, from Nahuatl zōtōlin palm tree

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1