Pulqueria La Risa

Pulqueria La Risa occupies a modest storefront on Calle Mesones in the southern stretch of the Centro Histórico, and the format has barely changed in decades. The entrance is a single door with a hand-painted sign advertising the day's pulque flavors. Inside, the space is narrow and long, with a service counter at the back where the pulque is dispensed from large containers. Wooden benches line the walls, and the decor consists mostly of painted signs, faded murals, and the occasional religious image.

Pulque itself is the fermented sap of the maguey plant, a pre-Hispanic drink with a slightly viscous texture and a sour, yeasty flavor that takes some adjustment for first-time drinkers. La Risa serves natural pulque alongside curados, which are pulque blended with fruit, vegetables, or grains. Common curado flavors include piña (pineapple), avena (oatmeal), apio (celery), fresa (strawberry), and mamey. The rotation depends on what the producer delivers each morning, and by late afternoon the flavors list shifts as barrels run dry.

Pricing is among the cheapest drinking in CDMX: a liter of natural pulque runs 30 to 50 MXN, and curados cost 40 to 70 MXN per liter. Simple tostadas with beans or tinga pair with the drinks at 20 to 40 MXN each. The clientele is almost exclusively local, skewing older and working-class, though younger adventurous drinkers have started appearing in small numbers as pulque culture gets more attention in food media.

Compared to the remodeled pulquerias in Roma Norte, La Risa represents the older format largely unchanged. The space is rougher, the service faster, and the crowd less interested in the aesthetic photos. The Centro Histórico location adds complexity: the immediate block is fine during daylight, but the area feels less safe after dark, and standard CDMX precautions apply. Visit in the afternoon, cash only, and don't photograph other patrons without asking.