Agave Nectar - a staple for your mixed drinks | Buy Wine Online

NEW BAR STAPLES: Blue Agave Nectar. But what is agave nectar generally:

Agave syrup, aka maguey syrup, and commonly though inaccurately known as agave nectar, is a sweetener commercially produced from several species of agave, including Agave tequilana and Agave salmiana. Blue-agave syrup contains 56% fructose as a sugar providing sweetening properties.

FROM THE STAPLES CENTER TO THE BUBBLE 

Yes, a little inside double entendre: 

here’s a new bar staple cropping up across the land, and it arrives by way of tea, pancakes and yogurt: agave nectar. The sweet, golden syrup in a squeeze-bottle, familiar to anyone who has trolled the aisles of Whole Foods, is a lot like honey but it’s subtler in taste and more fluid. Agave also has twice the sweetness of sugar with a lower glycemic index, so it’s less likely to trigger a sugar rush—and subsequent crash.

But agave nectar is actually quite versatile and is a good (lower calorie) substitute for simple syrup or triple sec in an array of cocktails, like the Sidecar, Cosmopolitan and Mojito.

HOW TO MAKE IT MORE FLEXIBLE 

To make it more mixable, Brian Van Flandern, former bartender at Per Se and Tequila Don Julio Global Brand Ambassador, advises adding an equal amount of warm water to the nectar.

STIR IT UP - COME ON BABY STIR IT UP 

Since agave has a slight caramel flavor, it also works nicely with brown spirits and pairs well with apple and baking spices.