LA CUSUSA: EL AGUARDIENTE CLANDESTINO DE HONDURAS.

Without intention, the morning of January 1st 2013, I drove with relatives and friends on a lonely street in Honduras, suddenly one of the companions told me: "do not want a sip of Cususa, there where he sees that there is a galley plant Cususa "-there was over when he was already saying" yes ".
We got to this place and there are two men, one older, a little "watered" (drunk) and half awake, accompanied by a young man who looked giving the impression that he had not swallowed a sip of this clandestine liquor. "I take photographs excuse" I asked the older, naturally responded: "Sure do, no problem, do not want to drink a sip, take the small cup Mijo to invite your friends."

I'm not usually a drinker, but when the host of this cususera we served in a handmade glasses a drink of cususa, it was with fear because once ingested the drink and the next day was with a severe headache. "Sure you accept the invitation" - immediately afterwards taste the drink and really felt it was similar to any famous whiskey drink. Not only was I who opined the same but two companions were of the same opinion.
But what amazed me was that the producers looked as calmly, the more nervous was his server because I figured that anytime appeared the authorities and we had been detained, but later confirmed when one of them said "we are give them "for Soda" (a phrase that means giving money) to "CHEPOS" (police or military).
But fear increases when one of the accompanying said "here other people were and others came only to kill them," he added to my stress, which ended until we leave this place, if I had known before I would meet a factory of CUSUSA, known as "mountain cat", I would have prepared an excellent photographic camera and take a couple of lemons to use as "boca" (dessert after ingesting an intoxicating drink).

 HISTORY

As in several communities in Honduras, in the town of Victoria, Yoro, drinks and most prestigious in the world were consumed, but there are also those who consume a very popular traditional clandestine liquor called CUSUSA.
Just as each drink has a rich history, there are others that its origin is a mystery, and many who occasionally or often a drink of cususa are taken, do not like talking and becomes a state secret, for their preparation craft, and therefore part of the victoriense culture is the traditional CUSUSA.

The great intellectuals of this province have tried, and many of them even recommend how you should drink, is a fermented beverage with similar smell commercial, crystal liquor and intoxicating drink.

The CUSUSA prepared in the traditional way and many of its manufacturers were perfecting up to overcome the most prestigious liquor. The recipe is based on sweet corn, sugar cane. Is a spirit of good taste and liked by consumers, here the ingenuity of is evidenced producers.

The name is a word of CUSUSA Mayan means "crazy water" but who are put off if those who consume it in large quantities, in some cases the most common symptom is headache.

There she abounded season where clandestine factories or "cusuceras", they were thwarted by the authorities called "Checkers". Many who have come to consume him intoxicated due to excessive consumption ingredients and artisanal producers use, in many cases commit adultery.

PREPARATION

Products such as corn, sweet brown sugar, water is added, the container lid and ferment for three or four days, it is ready "soup" is the distillation in copper stills.

In the first distillation cususa you get what is known as "head", and then comes the second quality that goes by the name "aguarrala" and finally get the "charbasca". Cususa preparers, called the cususeros who are experienced in smell, and perform the test finger is wet and closer to the fire and flame rises depending on whether and how intensely they know the alcohol content and quality.
The cususa should not be packed immediately, but must be allowed to stand a few hours and then bottled. A good cususa exceeds the best rum, sometimes looks like vodka, whiskey, tequila and the best whiskeys.
But "cususa" poorly prepared artisan cause poisoning, headaches and bad breath. The cususa usually drink alone, some experts drinkers will add orange juice and served in a glass or “guacal”, some daring consume m