…..Agave Nectar is a natural sweetener, similar to honey that’s produced in South Africa and Mexico and commonly used in culinary arts and mixology. If you’re fan of margaritas, you’ve most likely had some variation of one that uses Agave Nectar in place of or in combination with a triple sec. After seeing a surge in popularity by mixologists and home-bartenders around the world, Heaven Hill distilleries decided to take it one step further by producing the worlds first Agave Nectar liqueur.
Mariposa enjoys the distinction of being the first ever agave nectar liqueur on the market and comes enhanced with hints of rose oil and gardenia. Named for the Spanish translation “butterfly”, Mariposa celebrates the the monarch butterfly that is indigenous to the Tequila region of Mexico.
First Impression: Mariposa is a pale golden color, bringing out the thoughts of honey and sweetness. Simple and to the point on the labeling with black and pale yellow colors featuring butterfly designs all over the bottle paying homage to the origins of the name. After seeing the packaging, my initial thought of the labeling, and color choices reminded me of the marketing of Jack Daniels Honey liqueur. That’s probably not a coincidence because this liqueur will be in direct competition with the honey bourbon liqueurs that are “all the rage” right now such as JD Honey, Wild Turkey American Honey, Evan Williams Honey and a few others.
Aroma: One the nose you’ll notice heavy doses of two things, tequila and agave nectar. We noticed a strong tequila aroma initially followed by a sweet finish. In addition we noticed subtle notes of grapefruit. I’m a big fan of not only a good reposado/anejo tequila, but of the aroma that is associated with it so this is a great start for me.
Taste: Where do we start? It’s a lot more complex then I was expecting. I expected not only from my own assumptions, but from the aromas that we would taste the tequila, taste the sweetness of the agave and be done. However with a strong tequila aroma we actually barely taste the tequila. It’s blended in such a way that it goes almost unnoticed. Instead we taste strong citrus notes, orange to be specific, and as mentioned in the tasting notes we received, we taste a lingering of juniper which is commonly associated with gin. For it to be a 60 proof spirit there is only a slight notice of alcohol on the finish that reminds you to go easy on this because it’s incredibly tasty.
Price: $25 (750ml/30% ABV – 60 proof)
Grade: A
Overall: We couldn’t find ANYTHING we didn’t like about this one. At a price of $25, it’s a bit more than some of the liqueurs that it will be competing with for sales (16.99-22.99) but considering you’re getting 100% blue agave tequila as well as premium vodka, and a smooth drink that won’t leave you with a hangover, it’s well worth the price. In comparison to it’s competition (we’ll continue to use honey bourbons because there are no other agave nectar liqueurs) it’s go no bite and one of the softest easiest finishes I’ve had in a liqueur. The only one that compares to its drink-ability is Jack Daniels Honey. This one is a great sipper on ice, but as you can imagine will be easy to mix, especially in tequila cocktails putting a new spin on them (think margarita or paloma). We’ll be running out of this one very shortly I’d imagine.
Mariposa Mule
- 3/4 oz Reposado Tequila
- 1.5 oz Agave Nectar Liqueur
- 3/4 oz Lime juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 4 oz Ginger Ale
Combine ingredients, except ginger ale into a shaker, shake vigorously,and pour into a Collins glass filed with ice. Top with ginger ale.
Viceroy Daiquiri
- 1 1/2 oz Silver rum
- 3/4 oz Agave Nectar liqueur
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
- 3/4 oz simple syrup.
Combine all ingredients into a blender with one cup of ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
The Great Migration
- 1 1/2 oz London dry gin
- 3/4 oz Agave Nectar liqueur
- 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
- 1/4 oz Simple syrup
- Raw Sugar
- Lemon Zest
Combine liquor ingredients in a shaker. Rim a stemmed cocktail glass with sugar. Shake ingredients and strain into rimmed coktail glass. Garnish with lemon zest.
Did you know we’re on Pinterest?!? Also Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or stumble us on StumbleUpon to get our latest cocktail recipes, spirit reviews, and drink related news.
