A perfect margarita? Hah. I’ve wasted far too much 100 percent blue agave tequila by following recipes that left me with a citrus smack or a sour pucker.
So when a recent issue of Men’s Journal printed the teaser “A Perfect Margarita” — next to the bicep of a bare-chested guy doing push-ups on the beach — I simply couldn’t resist. The article cited Julio Bermejo of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco; he banishes anything from his cocktail shaker that detracts from the agave. No citrus liqueurs. No mediocre mixtos (tequila made from 51 percent, rather than 100 percent, blue agave). Not even salt on the rim. His ingredients are a hefty pour of a blanco, anejo or reposado tequila, fresh-squeezed limes — and a splash of agave nectar.
Tequila is pressed from blue agave (ah-GAH-vay). Agave nectar is pressed from wild agave. The former is agave juice that has been distilled and fermented; the latter is agave juice that has been heated until reduced to a syrup. The resulting nectar is sweeter than sugar, runnier than honey and slightly less maple-y than most Grade A maple syrups.
What better sweetener to accentuate agave than agave? The proportions — 6 parts blue agave tequila, 4 parts lime juice, 1 part agave nectar — carried the flavor of the tequila forward in a singular smooth fashion. Indeed a perfect margarita.
Agave nectar’s low glycemic index and relatively neutral flavor have made it popular among food manufacturers, organic producers in particular. So agave nectar shows up in everything: trendy juice blends, energy bars and yogurt. But with increased demand the price has nearly tripled.
If you want to find agave nectar, look in health food stores or online and expect to pay about $4.99 per 8-ounce bottle.
