The names of pulquerias are considered to be important for their identity and are often representative of contemporary popular culture in Mexico. They not only told the customers what to expect from that particular establishment, but also made references to popular literature, the theater, as well as international figures or events. Opera titles such as Norma, Semiramide, and La Traviata were in use, as were literary figures, Don Quixote and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among others. More romantic and militant names like The Great Napoleon and Mexico's Former Glories were also common. More bizarre names included Sal si Puedes ("Get Out If You Can") and El Asalto ("The Assault"). Barrels of pulque were also given different names depending on their flavor or alcoholic strength, such as the "pulque of the tough ones" or the "whining female". Many of the names written on the walls of the outside of the pulquerias were misspelled, which is thought to be a testimony to the low literacy rates in Mexico at the time.
