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

Now, sotol is re-emerging—and beginning to be seen as the third pillar of Mexican spirits. —Claudia Romo Edelman, Time, 5 May 2026

The sotol plant, a.k.a. desert spoon, it's derived from needs to grow for 18 to 22 years before it can be harvested. —Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026

There’s also the Agave Studio, where the in-house mixologist leads guests through a tasting of several Mexican spirits, including sotol, tequila, mezcal, and raicilla. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026

Unlike agave, which is cultivated and harvested in painstaking cycles, plants of the genus Dasylirion (the plant sotol is made from) grow wild in the arid regions of West Texas. —Andy Vasoyan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, from Nahuatl zōtōlin palm tree

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1