Coyol wine
Encyclopedia
Coyol wine is a fermented
alcoholic beverage
made from the sap
of coyol palms
. It has been made and consumed in Southern Mexico for thousands of years. It is primarily made and consumed in certain regions of Central America
like Nicaragua and Honduras. In order to produce the wine, the trees are cut down and drained of their sap, which is left to ferment in the sun. The result is a cloudy, pale yellow, moderately alcoholic beverage. Coyol wine is most commonly produced and sold by private vendors, often seen selling the drink on the side of country
roads and at small kiosk
s in used plastic bottles that originally contained water, soft drink
s, or other similar beverages.
The wine is purportedly unique in that it causes inebriation
not primarily by its alcohol content, but through enzymatic
action triggered when one drinks it and then receives significant sun exposure. It is popularly claimed that one can become inebriated at night, regain sobriety by the next day, and then undergo inebriation again in the morning without even consuming any more, merely by being exposed to the sun again.
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
made from the sap
Plant sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. It transports water and nutrients throughout the plant....
of coyol palms
Acrocomia aculeata
Acrocomia aculeata is a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern Mexico and the Caribbean south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Common names include Grugru Palm, Macaúba Palm, Coyol Palm, and Macaw Palm; synonyms include A. lasiospatha, A. sclerocarpa, A. totai,...
. It has been made and consumed in Southern Mexico for thousands of years. It is primarily made and consumed in certain regions of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
like Nicaragua and Honduras. In order to produce the wine, the trees are cut down and drained of their sap, which is left to ferment in the sun. The result is a cloudy, pale yellow, moderately alcoholic beverage. Coyol wine is most commonly produced and sold by private vendors, often seen selling the drink on the side of country
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
roads and at small kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
s in used plastic bottles that originally contained water, soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s, or other similar beverages.
The wine is purportedly unique in that it causes inebriation
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
not primarily by its alcohol content, but through enzymatic
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
action triggered when one drinks it and then receives significant sun exposure. It is popularly claimed that one can become inebriated at night, regain sobriety by the next day, and then undergo inebriation again in the morning without even consuming any more, merely by being exposed to the sun again.