What Pulque means
Pulque is a Mexican drink name of Nahuatl (via Spanish) origin meaning "spoiled wine". It comes from Spanish reshaping of Nahuatl poliuhqui octli (spoiled wine), from poliuhqui (something ruined) + octli (agave wine). It is pronounced POOL-keh, and it is most associated with central Mexico.
The Nahuatl name for the drink was octli, or iztac octli, 'white pulque'. The word we use today looks like a Spanish corruption of poliuhqui, which means Mexico's oldest drink is known internationally by what began as an insult.
This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Agua fresca, horchata, atole, tepache, pulque, mezcal. Most Mexican drink names are the name of the plant or grain they are made from, and the agave spirits are named for the towns and regions that make them.
