Region & History

Pecaya lies hidden in the dry hills of the state of Falcón. Just a few kilometers away rise the humid peaks of the Sierra de San Luis. Agave cocui has grown here for centuries. Even before the Spanish arrived, the Caquetío and Jirajara peoples made a fermented drink from it, which they drank at festivals and rituals. Written records from the colonial era itself are scarce, but the plant and its juice were woven firmly into life in these dry mountains.

The story becomes clearer in the 20th century, and it is a story of prohibition. Under the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez, distilling Cocuy was declared illegal. Production vanished into the mountains and became moonshine. In 1974, a new law tightened things further. Pure agave spirit was now banned; only "Aguardiente de Cocuy" was permitted. This blend of neutral alcohol and a small amount of real Cocuy was capped at 42 percent ABV.

Only in 2005 did the law change, with the reform confirmed in 2007. Pure Cocuy made from one hundred percent Agave cocui was legal again, and numerous artisan producers emerged from hiding into the light. On December 5, 2000, Cocuy had already been declared cultural heritage of the state of Falcón. In May 2001 came the Denominación de Origen Controlada "Cocuy Pecayero," following the Covenin 3662:2001 standard. It is administered by the Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Intelectual. In 2016, the protection was extended for a further fifteen years.

The protection applies narrowly. Only agave spirit from the Parroquia Pecaya in the Municipio Sucre may be called Cocuy Pecayero. In the neighboring state of Lara, around Siquisique, Cocuy has also been distilled for generations. This often happens in larger volumes with nationwide distribution, but without the name "Pecayero." The Denominación belongs solely to the roughly 150 artisans of Pecaya. Cocuy is made in a different country, under its own standard, from its own agave. That is why it is neither tequila nor mezcal, even though all three are distilled from agave.