Apan

Apan lies on a high, semi-arid plain northeast of the Basin of Mexico. The surrounding Llanos de Apan became renowned for maguey, the plant whose sap is fermented into pulque. Indigenous people cultivated maguey before the Spanish conquest, and the drink held an important place in Mesoamerican life.

In 1520 Apan and nearby Tepeapulco formed a political unit; after the conquest the area was incorporated into the encomienda of Otumba. Colonial estates first raised livestock and cultivated crops introduced from Europe. Over time they increasingly specialized in maguey for commercial pulque production. By the middle of the seventeenth century pulque had become central to the economy of estates around Apan, and the crown directed revenues from its production to the royal treasury.