If you are familiar with even half of my deal, you know that I’m very into corn. I will eat it off the buttery cob. I will eat it raw. I will eat it pickled. I will eat it after it’s been soaked in calcium hydroxide (at which point it becomes “hominy.”) I will drink it. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a form of corn—or a corn-flavored product—that I didn’t enjoy putting in my mouth. And while I know that Nixta Licor de Elote was not created to satisfy my specific needs, it sure feels like it was.
My only qualm with the people who made Nixta that they did not send me a full-sized, corn-shaped bottle, but they must have known they didn’t need to. The two tiny aliquots they sent were enough to whet my thirst for more corn drink, and I’m more than happy to pay full retail for this stuff. (This is high praise from someone who has an already full bar cart packed with free press samples.)
As the name implies, Nixta doesn’t just taste like corn—it tastes like nixtamalized corn (also known as “hominy”), corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution to make it more digestible, nutritious, and—in my opinion—delicious. It’s nutty, sweet, and toasted, like good corn bread with whipped honey butter. I could drink it chilled and be happy, but this column requires three ingredients, so luckily Nixta pairs well with another iconic corn beverage: bourbon.
There’s a recipe for an old fashioned-type beverage on the Nixta site, but it does not feature enough Nixta. Instead of using it to modify the bourbon, I increased the ratio to 50/50, creating a boozier beverage that was still plenty sweet and corny. I also added lime bitters, because Elote calls for lime, but you could use Angostura if it’s all you have. To make it, you will need:
1 1/2 ounces bourbon (I used bottle-in-bond)
1 1/2 ounces Nixta Licor de Elote
3 dashes lime bitters
Add everything to a lowball, snifter, or any other short and stout glass that can accommodate a small handful of ice cubes. Add the ice cubes and give them a little stir. Sip, enjoy, repeat.