Mariposa Agave Nectar
LA bartender Matt Biancaniello whips up a sweet summer cocktail with a new liqueur
From Heaven Hill Distilleries, makers of Elijah Craig whiskey and Rittenhouse Straight Rye, comes Mariposa, the first agave nectar liqueur on the market. Mariposa, which is concocted from 100% agave tequila and premium vodka, is named for the Spanish word for butterfly, paying tribute to the Monarch species indigenous to the Tequila region of Mexico. With an aroma of gardenias and rose oil, the liqueur makes for a highly mixable ingredient for sweet cocktails. For those wishing to limit or eliminate processed sugars from their diets, agave has become a popular alternative, and bartenders have found agave to be a helpful substitute for simple syrup and honey.
Bartender Matt Biancaniello of the Library Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in LA created a special cocktail with Mariposa that incorporates the flavors of summer. Biancaniello fills his bar with the freshest ingredients from no fewer than three local farmers markets every week, and strives to create new combinations from seasonal flavors he finds. Inspired by the Nicholas Family Farms blueberry juice, Biancaniello bucked his usual habit for intricate, ingredient-rich cocktails to blend a simple recipe that can be easily replicated at home.
Blueberry Morpho
2 ounces Mariposa
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh blueberry juice
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a slice of lime. (Alternative options: pomegranate or grape juice would also work well with the floral notes in the Mariposa.)
Mariposa is currently launching across the US this summer, and will be available for $25.
