For decades miche was illegal to distill in Venezuela, which pushed production into hidden mountain stills around Táchira, and small towns still hold folk festivals celebrating the old bootlegging tradition.
Sugarcane juice is fermented and distilled in small copper or homemade stills into a strong, clear liquor, sometimes infused with fruit or herbs. Roadside stands and market stalls in Táchira's mountain towns sell it by the shot or bottle.