Pit-Roasting Agave: The Oldest Step in the Process

Raw agave piñas store their carbohydrate as fructans (inulin) rather than as fermentable sugar, so yeast can do nothing with them in that state. Slow roasting over fire breaks those long chains down into fermentable sugars, the same principle behind roasting any root vegetable to bring out sweetness.

It's a slow burn rather than a fast one, hours, not minutes, so the heart of the piña cooks through evenly without charring the outside before the inside is ready.

This step alone contributes much of the earthy, smoky-adjacent character that separates a pit-roasted spirit from anything made with industrially steamed agave.