Federico Olvera, owner of the Agave 69 pulquería in Xochimilco, created the cempasúchil curado 21 years ago from a moment of inspiration during Day of the Dead celebrations. This innovation blended pulque with cempasúchil flowers, winning over customers and becoming a seasonal classic. Olvera claims to be the original inventor of this recipe.
In November 2004, at the El Templo de Diana pulquería in Xochimilco, Federico Olvera was serving his regular customers when they entered asking for '¡Queremos calavera, danos nuestra calavera!'. As a descendant of a family of jicareros from Hidalgo, Olvera—who had learned the trade from childhood—had a moment of inspiration: he combined pulque with cempasúchil flowers from the Day of the Dead altar he was about to remove.
"De pura chiripada" (pure chance), the original recipe was born: pulque, sugar, condensed milk, and chopped cempasúchil. Olvera prepared the curado in a 12-liter wooden bucket and distributed it among the customers, who drank it joyfully. His concern grew when students from the Escuela de Artesanías tried a sample; he feared adverse reactions, but to his surprise, they returned the following week asking for more. "Para mí fue increíble que lo hubieran aceptado y más los jóvenes" (It was incredible to me that they accepted it, especially the young people), he commented.
Over the years, Olvera refined the selection of native Xochimilco flowers with 20 petals, sourced from local suppliers. Today, at Agave 69—opened 10 years ago at Avenida México 52, San Antonio, Xochimilco—the curado is sold seasonally until November 7, attracting even high-society customers. "Llegaba gente a la que yo le digo encopetados, de buenos recursos, rica, señoras entaconadas, de buen vestir, que se formaban para pedir un pulque de cempasúchil" (People arrived whom I call well-heeled, from good resources, wealthy, high-heeled ladies, well-dressed, who lined up to order a cempasúchil pulque), he recalls.
Olvera has innovated further: for Day of the Dead, he offers 'La Llorona' with corn, epazote, and chile, plus curados like mandarina or tejocote. Prices range from 90 to 200 pesos. "El pulque y el cempasúchil que utilizamos tiene alma, tiene espíritu, tiene fuerza y tiene vida" (The pulque and cempasúchil we use have soul, spirit, strength, and life), he says, emphasizing its role in preserving the prehispanic drink while appealing to new generations.