Fruit-flavored liqueurs have long been a staple of the cocktail game. No one is going to get very far opening up a cocktail bar without at least one orange liqueur, and that’s just one product. For that reason, it’s rare to come across something completely new in the world of fruit liqueurs. It’s even more rare to come across something so new yet simultaneously steeped in history. Abacaty Avocado Liqueur is just that.
In 2019, the SWANG Spirits development team was tasked with creating an Advocaat liqueur; Advocaat is a 17th-century Dutch cocktail made with eggs, sugar, and rum or brandy. Up until this time the team had never created a spirit using animal products and weren’t comfortable compromising on their values. During their research, however, they discovered that the Advocaat cocktail may have been inspired by an indigenous drink from 17th century Brazil called Abacate.
Abacate was made with pureed avocados, cane sugar, and rum, but when Dutch colonials tried to introduce abacate (which they referred to as “advocaat”) in Europe they had trouble sourcing their ingredients. Since avocados don’t grow in Northern Europe, they replaced the fruit with egg yolks, which gave the cocktail a similarly pleasant creamy texture. They kept the name Advocaat, despite the cocktail no longer containing avocados.
When the SWANG team, led by Master Distiller and Master Blender Kim Weisswange, set out to create their abacate liqueur, Abacaty, they approached it with a mindset of conservation and sustainability. The company pays particular attention to water conservation and CO2 neutrality. Whenever possible, they implement climate-neutral transport routes for their raw materials.
Abacaty uses avocados sourced from Spain, where they are cultivated in a more ecologically sustainable way than other parts of the world. They use mainly organic ingredients in the production of their liqueur and avoid GMOs. The company also supports several conservation and biodiversity efforts. 2% of annual Abacaty sales are donated to Survival International, an organization that supports the health and education of the indigenous population of the Amazon region.
Abacaty Avocado Cream Liqueur is the world’s first vegan cream liqueur made with avocados. It’s gluten-free and contains no artificial colors or flavors. To produce Abacaty, neutral alcohol is first macerated with avocados and botanicals, then filtered and rested for six months in oak barrels, which impart flavors reminiscent of rum. Finally, the spirit is blended with avocado cream, creating a rich, 17% ABV liqueur. Abacaty is creamy and textural with a slightly fruity avocado flavor and a hint of vanilla and delicate spice.
Abacaty Dry Spirit is the clear, dry version of Abacaty. It’s clean, fresh, and bright-tasting, and combines avocado with notes of rum, cane sugar, pineapple, and lime for a refreshing 24% ABV spirit.
Abacaty is great served neat or on the rocks, but it also makes an excellent addition to cocktails. Try shaking up some Abacaty Cream Liqueur with gin and iced jasmine tea and serving it on ice for a refreshing springtime cocktail. The cream liqueur can also be substituted for orgeat to make for a complex and exciting riff on a Mai Tai, or thrown into a blender with some white rum, fresh watermelon, and coconut milk for a frozen summery treat.
Abacaty Dry Spirit makes a fantastic spritz when added to sparkling wine and garnished with a lemon peel. You might also try adding a splash to some rum agricole muddled with fresh lime and cane syrup for an Avocado Ti’ Punch.
Abacaty is a great option for anyone looking for a plant-based alternative to traditional cream and egg-based liqueurs, but it’s not exclusively meant to be enjoyed by those who fall into that category. It’s such a unique and interesting spirit that the only limit to how you’ll use it is your own creativity.
