Agave Nectar
Is this the fabled “nectar of the gods”?
As the name would imply, agave nectar or agave syrup is produced in Mexico from several varieties of the agave plant, including Blue Agave of tequila fame. The nectar is produced by extracting juice from the agave piña (core). The juice is then filtered and heated to form the sugars, ending up with a consistency a bit thinner than honey.
Agave nectar is essentially a sweetener that can be used as a substitute for sugar, honey or other items. Vegans often use it to replace honey and health conscious folks may use it due to a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners.
So why on earth is the Connoisseur talking about this sweet, syrupy, sticky stuff..?
Can you say “killer margaritas”?
Yes folks, it’s time to get down to the business at hand. Obviously there are a few hundred trillion margarita recipes out there, the greater majority of which are unfortunately awful. Try this basic recipe using agave nectar and see what you think. Feel free to tweak the proportions as your taste dictates.
· 6 parts tequila (we recommend a good quality silver)
· 4 parts fresh squeezed lime juice
· 1 part agave nectar
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and pour into a glass over ice – we recommend no salt on the rim.
Nectar of the Gods, indeed…!
A couple of notes: the lighter colored nectar is preferable over the amber color for this drink. As for the limes, we favor the common Mexican lime – round, green and somewhat larger than a ping-pong ball. The other readily available lime is the Tahitian Persian lime, which is shaped like a small lemon. These are a bit more acidic than the Mexican limes, and may require a bit more nectar to offset the flavor difference.
As the name would imply, agave nectar or agave syrup is produced in Mexico from several varieties of the agave plant, including Blue Agave of tequila fame. The nectar is produced by extracting juice from the agave piña (core). The juice is then filtered and heated to form the sugars, ending up with a consistency a bit thinner than honey.
Agave nectar is essentially a sweetener that can be used as a substitute for sugar, honey or other items. Vegans often use it to replace honey and health conscious folks may use it due to a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners.
So why on earth is the Connoisseur talking about this sweet, syrupy, sticky stuff..?
Can you say “killer margaritas”?
Yes folks, it’s time to get down to the business at hand. Obviously there are a few hundred trillion margarita recipes out there, the greater majority of which are unfortunately awful. Try this basic recipe using agave nectar and see what you think. Feel free to tweak the proportions as your taste dictates.
· 6 parts tequila (we recommend a good quality silver)
· 4 parts fresh squeezed lime juice
· 1 part agave nectar
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and pour into a glass over ice – we recommend no salt on the rim.
Nectar of the Gods, indeed…!
A couple of notes: the lighter colored nectar is preferable over the amber color for this drink. As for the limes, we favor the common Mexican lime – round, green and somewhat larger than a ping-pong ball. The other readily available lime is the Tahitian Persian lime, which is shaped like a small lemon. These are a bit more acidic than the Mexican limes, and may require a bit more nectar to offset the flavor difference.