pulque

American  

[pool-kee, pool-ke] / ˈpʊl ki, ˈpul kɛ /

noun

1. a fermented milky drink made from the juice of certain species of agave in Mexico.

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pulque British  

/ ˈpʊlkɪ, ˈpulke /

noun

1. a light alcoholic drink from Mexico made from the juice of various agave plants, esp the maguey

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Etymology

Origin of pulque

Borrowed into English from Mexican Spanish around 1685–95

Example Sentences

Tepache, tejuino and pulque are rustic beverages with Indigenous roots, yet they’re still barely known north of the border.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

For hundreds of years, Mexican fermented drinks like tepache, tejuino and pulque were looked down upon by polite society.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2022

Mezcal is a descendant of the Aztecs’ fermented pulque, made of fermented agave sap, and “tequila,” strictly speaking, is only the most readily available, commodified and in many ways least interesting kind of mezcal.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 12, 2019

The Aztecs encouraged pregnant women to drink a vitamin-rich brew called pulque, and for most of history, a liquid breakfast was considered healthy.

From New York Times • May 30, 2018

She brought him pulque to drink in a little pitcher, and still he shook his head to clear out the darkness.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck