Add Sweet And Savory Complexity To Your Cocktails With Corn Liqueur

Calling all the corn lovers! While you might be no stranger to the endless ways you can enjoy the sweet and juicy kernels, there's a new way to satisfy your corn cravings — with a corn liqueur cocktail. The first of its kind, Nixta Licor de Elote is made with raw and roasted cacahuazintle maize grown in the valleys of Mexico's Nevado de Toluca that's been soaked in Abasolo corn whisky, and then mixed with nixtamalized corn, water, and sugar. With a uniquely sweet and savory profile, the liqueur can be the secret ingredient to almost any cocktail.

With each passing year, cocktails are becoming increasingly complex. Appeasing to our ever-expanding palates, Wine Enthusiast reports that many craft and micro-distilleries have started showcasing regional flavors, sparking an interest in these one-of-a-kind spirits and, consequently, unique liqueurs. That said, while cordials are often the supporting characters in a cocktail, a great spirit still requires an equally great liqueur. Cue, Nixta.

Honoring Mexico's cultural identity and appealing to culinary sensibilities, Nixta is a must for mixologists. But the corn-focused liqueur also deserves a spot on your bar cart — and not just because it's stored in a corn-shaped bottle! Sweet, toasty, buttery, and subtly spicy, Nixta can take your cocktails to the next level.

Crafted by Destilería y Bodega Abasol, Difford's Guide shares that Nixta Licor de Elote teems with aromas of caramel, notes of buttered popcorn and cornbread, and nuances of warm vanilla. Sweet but not overly saccharine, the silky liqueur is delicately earthy and smoky, reminiscent of toasted corn on the cob. While the new-world cordial can be enjoyed simply, served neat or over ice, why limit creativity?

There's no shortage of funky cocktails created by the brand itself, like the cider and corn-based Octubre, corny cold brew Nixta the Afternoon, or even the bubbly and bitter Nixta Spritz. Alternatively, you could also riff on classic cocktails. For example, InsideHook recommends adding Abasolo corn whiskey and using Nixta as a sweetener in an Old-Fashioned or crafting a Corn Colada with rum, Abasolo, Nixta, coconut cream, and pineapple juice.

Inventing your own cocktails is also an option. Incorporate corn (or any) liqueur with a technique called the Mr. Potato Head, which swaps out one ingredient for another, according to Keep Calm and Cocktail. That said, it's wise to think about complimenting flavors and make substitutions one at a time. For example, play it safe to start and use corn liqueur instead of gin to craft a highball classic like a Gin and Tonic, or add a splash of it in a margarita rather than an orange liqueur. The combinations are limitless!