West Texans can sample and learn about sotoles, at Marfa's third annual Agave Festival, June 1-9.

Distilled agave spirits have long been a mainstay of Mexico and the borderlands. But they've gone global. Tequila exports from Mexico have doubled since 2000. Mezcal production has risen even more dramatically. And now, the spirit of another desert plant – sotol – is poised for a boom.

Every boom takes its toll. With agave, demand has outpaced supply. Wild populations are threatened, as are agave pollinators, like the endangered long-nosed bat. 

Will sotol follow that pattern? Some producers hope to safeguard the ecology, and the deep cultural traditions, of this emblematic Chihuah...