Bolder than honey, and far more flavorful than simple syrup, agave syrup is a smooth way to add sweetness to a cocktail without diluting the other flavors you're already working with. Give your usual old-fashioned a boost or punch up the agave in your margarita for an agave cocktail worth posting about.
Agave Cocktail Margarita
Let the agave syrup shine in a sweeter margarita. Yes, you're going to use a bit more agave syrup than in a traditional margarita, but this sweet treat makes for an excellent change in your usual dessert cocktail choices.
Ingredients
- Agave nectar and salt for rim
- 2 ounces silver tequila
- 1½ ounces agave syrup
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, dip the rim of the glass in agave.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, agave syrup, lime juice, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Agave Vodka Sour
Bust out your carton of eggs for a tart yet gorgeously sweet agave cocktail. Don't worry, the egg white marries all these flavors together for a creamy, out-of-this-world drink.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1½ ounce agave syrup
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Egg white
- Ice
- Bitters for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add vodka, agave syrup, lime juice, lemon juice, and egg white.
- Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish by spreading out three to four drops of bitters and dragging a cocktail skewer through them to create a design.
Agave Kiss Paloma
Introduce your usual grapefruit paloma to something a little softer. Don't worry, grapefruit-lovers, that bitter citrus still shines here. Just give it a try.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces grapefruit-infused tequila
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Grapefruit soda to top off
- Grapefruit slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, grapefruit tequila, agave syrup, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with grapefruit soda.
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice and mint sprig.
The Desert's Bee's Knees: The Agave Version
Pack your bags and head to the desert for a bee's knees riff that leaves the honey out in favor of, you guessed it, agave syrup. Pairs well for those days when you're caring for your succulents and other cacti.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin OR vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- Ice
- Lemon ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and agave syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Tommy's Margarita
If you're scratching your head wondering what makes this margarita any different from the classic, here's a clue: orange you glad you figured it out?
Ingredients
- Lime wedge and salt for rim
- 2 ounces gold tequila
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce agave syrup
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Oaxaca Old-Fashioned
The Oaxaca old-fashioned is always the solution when you're looking to diverge from your usual whiskey or tequila drinks. Think of this as a copy-paste of your usual old-fashioned, but with new formatting.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce reposado tequila
- 1 ounce mezcal
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, tequila, mezcal, agave syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Wednesday Agave Margarita Mocktail
An agave drink without any of the buzz, this blows all the other margarita mocktails out of the water. No need to wave sadly at your taco and tequila Tuesday when you have this.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge and salt for rim
- 2 ounces nonalcoholic tequila, optional
- 1¼ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- ¼ ounce nonalcoholic orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, nonalcoholic tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and nonalcoholic orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Agave Bourbon Sidecar
Simple syrup has no place in this sidecar riff that not only uses bourbon, but agave syrup too. It's a great introduction to a new side of cocktails you may not have previously explored.
Ingredients
- Lemon wedge and sugar for rim
- 1½ ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, agave syrup, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and orange bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Agave Mojito
You'll sometimes find this agave and mojito cocktail riff named the island mojito. No particular rhyme or reason, but the agave does give this Cuban drink a little extra sand and sunshine. But without the grit and sunburn.
Ingredients
- 4-6 fresh mint leaves
- 2 ounces gold rum
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Mint sprig and lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the lime juice.
- Add gold rum and agave syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Pour, do not strain, into a highball glass.
- Fill the remainder of the glass with fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Agave Punch No. 2
A respectful riff on Dale DeGroff's original agave punch, the agave flavors of the añejo tequila add even more support to the agave syrup in an excellent alternative to a rum punch.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces añejo tequila
- 3 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce agave syrup
- Ice
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, añejo tequila, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and agave syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Smooth Agave Cocktails Beyond The Margarita
There's far more to agave syrup cocktail recipes than the standard margarita. And don't get us wrong, we love the classic marg. But some nights, you just want something a little different. These agave drinks not only answer the call, but they'll become instant favorites.
