8 Signature Cocktails That Inspire Heritage + Home

Azuñia Tequila has values. Respecting the soil in which its agave grows, and the traditions that surround its authenticity are important to this brand. It takes Heritage and Home seriously. We love this brand for its organically-grown Weber Blue Agave and its commitment that no additives enter the tequila-making process during any stage — from harvest to barrel-aging to bottling.

You may not always realize it, but you, consumers and industry members, all rely on brands like this one to keep spirits honest, pure and authentic. The time is “now” for organic tequila, and consumers ask for organic brands by name. Do you?

Afterall, what’s the point in watching what we eat if we don’t also watch what we drink. Azuñia  is the golden child of organic restaurants like Tocaya Organica and mixologists all over the country are looking for ways to take better care of their customers. Respecting the Heritage and Home of the brands they serve is part of that effort.

Azuñia Tequila, naturally, has stepped up to the plate to support the movement, donating to Camp Fire evacuees, organizing a Home and Heritage Cocktail Competition and indexing 10 Signature Cocktails Inspired by Heritage and Home for you, our Drink Me readers.

Tequila de Mantequilla Caliente

(a.k.a. Hot Buttered Tequila)

Created by Kyla Dahl, Bar Manager, Taco Guild, Arizona.

Inspiration: I recreated a recipe near and dear to my heart that especially brings me back to my holidays at home.

A riff on a traditional drink that my family used to serve during the cold Washington nights. I swapped out the rum (my family actually used brandy) for Azuñia Reposado, which is one of my favorite expressions while the rest of the ingredients are the way my mom makes it at home.

It pairs perfectly with the ingredients in this drink as the spices really complement each other, and create a beautiful blend of baking spice and holiday reminiscence.

Recipe, made in a large batch to serve 4 to 5 people:

• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• 3/4 cup Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila
• 2 cups water
• 4 sticks cinnamon, for garnish

Method: Pour water in pot and heat up on a low simmer. Meanwhile, beat the brown sugar, butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a bowl until blended and smooth. Slowly add mixture to hot water and stir until mixed well. Pour into mugs and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Recommended menu price $9

Fall in Sunnyslope

Created by Colton Brock, Taverna Taverna y Cocina, Phoenix, Arizona.

Inspiration: I chose to use Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila to incorporate some of the wood and caramel notes, which complement the fall flavors celebrated in this cocktail.

• 1.5oz Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila
• 0.75oz pomegranate liqueur
• 0.75 oz rosemary demerara syrup*
• 1 oz lime juice
• 3 dashes AZ Bitters Lab Figgy Pudding bitters

*Rosemary demerara syrup: Combine 1/2 cup demerara sugar with 1/2 cup water and four sprigs rosemary. Simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and remove from heat and let cool. Strain out rosemary solids and refrigerate.

Build: Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Serve over cracked ice in Collins glass and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Recommended menu price $12-$14

Strawberry Bloody Maria

Created by Aaron Ayala, Melody Lounge, Los Angeles, California.

Inspiration: I made this cocktail because of the importance that strawberries played in my childhood. Growing up in Ontario, California, the farmlands weren’t far and I grew up around the houses of field workers.

I made this cocktail for the fruit I love and used the spirit that made most sense for what a Bloody Mary/Maria should be, and what it’s supposed to represent: a sweet start to a spicy day. The pepper notes of Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila perfectly compliment strawberries and the chicken garnish.

• 2.0 oz Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila
• 4.0 oz of Housemade Strawberry Bloody Mary Mix
• .25 Strawberry Brandy
• .25 Fresh Lemon Juice

Recommended menu price: $12

Rapid Fire

Created by Christian Jenkins.

“I chose Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila to pull out the robust flavors of the suze.”

• 1 oz Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila
• 1 oz Suze Saveur D’ Autrefois
• 1 oz Yzaguirre Blanco Vermouth
• Garnish with an orange swath and roasted star anise

Build: Stir

Recommended menu price: $12

Elote

Created by Pedro Barriga, Crustacean, Beverly Hills, California.

Inspiration: I was raised in Orange County, California and most afternoons were spent playing on the streets with my friends, and all the parents outside would watch us play. The Elote (corn) Lady would come by and sell us corn for $1. The corn was hot and she used mayo, cheese, butter, lime, salt, and pico de gallo to garnish it. We were kids but it was so delicious after running around all afternoon it was a treat. Parents didn’t mind spending the money to get it for all of us and they would grab one for themselves. After eating, our faces would just be covered with cheese.

Most of the cocktails that workout for me have a good story behind them. This cocktail reminds me of being a kid and who doesn’t like a little snack with a drink? Azuñia Blanco was a perfect pick for this because the ingredients don’t take away from the tequila and doesn’t take away from the idea. It’s a perfect balance.

• 2oz Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila
• 0.75 oz Heirloom Corn Syrup
• 0.75 oz Lime Juice
• 0.5 oz Creme Mexicana
• Garnish: Torched Corn, Lime Juice, Sal de Gusano, Butter

Build: Hard shake, double strain, whip.

Recommended menu price: $14-$18

Her Grace

Created by Kacie Asher.

Inspiration: This elegant cocktail is named after a perfume scent my mother wears called Amazing Grace. It features notes of bergamot, macadamia, blossoms and musk. This scent celebrates grace, and a journey to embrace your inner beauty.

I used Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila because it offers a nice floral addition to this scent-inspired cocktail. The floral flavor pairs well with macadamia and bergamot, whereas the herbal spice notes balance the cocktail’s sweeter ingredients. Sets the stage for a home that smells like floral flowers and freshly baked cookies all year round.

• 1.5 oz Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila
• 0.75 oz Macadamia Orgeat
• 1.0 oz Bergamot Citrus
• 0.5 oz Hendricks Gin
• 3 Dashes of Orange Bitters
• 0.75 oz egg white
• Italicus Bergamot Liqueur spray on top
• Garnish: Edible Flowers

Build: Combine all ingredients except egg in small tin. Perform a normal shake to incorporate all ingredients. Strain cocktail ingredients back into small tin. Measure 0.75 oz egg white into large empty tin. Dump small tin into large tin, and perform a reverse dry shake. Strain cocktail into large coupe. Spray cocktail, and garnish.

Recommended menu price: $14

Rocky Mountain Tonic (R.M.T.)

Amanda Hamilton, Uno Más Taqueria, Denver, Colorado.

Inspiration: I chose Azuñia Blanco because it’s flavor profile lends itself so well to a variety of options. I was looking for something crisp and refreshing without being too sweet. I wanted to make something for someone who loves tequila and wants an option outside of a margarita.

• 1.5 oz Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila
• 0.25 oz Azuñia Agave Organic Syrup
• 0.25 oz lemon juice
• 4-5 dashes of Angostura bitters

Build: In a pint glass over ice, shake, top with tonic, garnish with a half lemon wheel.

Recommended menu price $9

Birth of a Bandit

Created by Erick Cruz, Thompson and Twain Prospecting Company, Temecula, California

Inspiration: This cocktail is a salute, or a ¡Salud! to my Mexican heritage. The name is inspired by the famous Mexican bandit and revolutionary, Pancho Villa. The drink was inspired by the fermented beverage Tepache which Pancho Villa probably sipped to cool off after battle. Tepache is a fermented beverage that originates in Mexico, made from the rinds of a pineapple and piloncillo sugar.

I kept the cocktail as simple as possible to showcase the spiced sweetness of the piloncillo sugar boosted by the warm herbaceous notes of saffron from the Liquore Strega. I used the pineapple and lime juice to piece together the Tepache sweet, tart, and tropical flavors.

The fiesta doesn’t end there, Azuñia Blanco’s citrus and pepper flavor profile adds the perfect balance and fuego. But just when you thought this was a cocktail to lounge on the beach with,  this bandit takes you to the battlefield with a smoky mezcal finish and aroma. Now that’s the birth of a bandit!

• 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 0.75 oz piloncillo simple syrup
• 0.5 oz Strega Liquore
• 2 oz Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila
• 0.5oz mezcal
• 2 dashes ango/allspice bitter

Build: Whip with crushed ice, serve in hurricane glass, packed with more crushed ice. Garnish with allspice bitters pineapple frond torched cinnamon.

Recommended menu price: $15

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azunia tequila