Snakes aren’t traditionally put in tequila. What most people are thinking of is one of two different traditions that get mixed up: the moth larva (often called a “worm”) found in some bottles of mezcal, or snake wine, an infused rice wine from Southeast Asia. Neither one actually involves tequila, but both are real practices with distinct histories worth understanding.
The “Worm” in Mezcal, Not Tequila
The most common version of this question traces back to the famous “tequila worm,” which isn’t in tequila at all. It belongs in mezcal, tequila’s smokier cousin. Both spirits come from the agave plant, but tequila is made specifically from blue agave and has stricter production rules. No legitimate tequila bottle has ever contained a worm or a snake.
The creature at the bottom of certain mezcal bottles is a moth larva called a gusano de maguey, which feeds on the agave (maguey) plant. The practice likely started in the 1940s or 1950s, and one popular origin story credits Jacobo Lozano Paez, a former art student turned mezcal entrepreneur, who noticed the larva changed the flavor of the spirit. From there, marketing took over. Producers began claiming the gusano indicated purity (a strong, pure mezcal would keep the worm intact) or that eating it could bring virility and good fortune. Most of this was aimed squarely at the American market. Mexicans themselves generally never drank mezcal with a worm in it.
Snake Wine Is a Separate Tradition
Putting an actual snake in a bottle of alcohol is a real practice, but it comes from East and Southeast Asia, not Mexico. Snake wine has roots in traditional Chinese medicine dating back thousands of years. A whole snake, sometimes a cobra or viper, is placed in rice wine or grain alcohol and left to steep for months. The belief is that the snake’s “essence” dissolves into the liquid, creating a drink thought to boost vitality, treat joint pain, or improve circulation. Similar drinks appear in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and other parts of the region.
The preparation matters enormously. In properly made snake wine, the snake is cleaned, gutted, and preserved in high-proof alcohol that kills most harmful organisms. But cheaper or carelessly produced versions skip these steps, and that’s where serious problems can arise.
Health Risks of Snake-Infused Alcohol
Wild snakes frequently carry parasites, and if a snake is dropped into alcohol without proper cleaning, those parasites can survive. Improperly packaged snake wine may contain parasites that are potentially fatal if ingested by humans. There have also been documented cases of snakes surviving inside sealed bottles for extended periods, with at least one well-known incident of a “preserved” cobra biting someone when the bottle was opened.
High alcohol content reduces but doesn’t eliminate these risks. If you encounter snake wine while traveling, sticking to commercially produced versions from reputable sellers is significantly safer than buying homemade bottles from street vendors.
Can You Bring Snake Wine Into the U.S.?
Bringing snake wine into the United States is legally complicated. U.S. Customs and Border Protection subjects all alcohol imports to restrictions, and snake wine gets an additional layer of scrutiny from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If the snake species in the bottle is protected under the Endangered Species Act, the bottle will be confiscated. Customs officers may need to examine the bottle at the port of entry to identify the species, and many common snakes used in snake wine, including certain cobras, are in fact protected.
Why the Traditions Get Confused
The mezcal worm and Asian snake wine are completely unrelated traditions from different continents, but they collapse into a single image in popular culture: something exotic and slightly alarming sitting at the bottom of a liquor bottle. Add in decades of tourists retelling stories with fuzzy details, and “snake in tequila” becomes a shorthand for all of it. The mezcal worm was always more of a marketing gimmick than a cultural tradition. Snake wine carries genuine historical significance in traditional medicine, even if modern evidence for its health claims is thin. Both survive largely because of the spectacle factor, the thrill of eating or drinking something that feels transgressive.