Matador Norteño recipe
Sotol, pineapple, lemon and a precise chile accent in a bright northern-agave riff.
Method: Shake & double strain ·
Glass: Chilled coupe ·
Time: 4 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: Tiki & Tropical
Ingredients
- 2 oz Sotol
- 0.75 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice (unsweetened)
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Rich Agave Syrup (2:1 agave nectar to water)
- 5 drops Habanero Tincture (or chile bitters)
How to make a Matador Norteño
- Chill a coupe and prepare a fresh strip of lemon peel for the final aromatic expression.
- Add sotol, pineapple juice, lemon juice, rich agave syrup and habanero tincture to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, until the tin is cold and the pineapple is lightly aerated.
- Double strain into the chilled coupe. Express the lemon peel over the surface, discard it and serve immediately.
Garnish
Expressed lemon peel, discarded.
Pro tip
Start with exactly five drops of tincture. The chile should arrive as a short, fragrant spark after the bright sotol and pineapple—not dominate the drink.
History of the Matador Norteño
Created by bartender Alex Valencia, the Matador Norteño is a La Contenta Oeste riff on Trader Vic’s Tequila Matador. It trades tequila for sotol and moves the citrus to lemon, keeping pineapple but adding rich agave and a measured habanero accent for a drier, more mineral direction.
Flavour profile
Sotol, Pineapple, Citrus, Spicy
Variations
- Matador — The crisp original: blanco tequila, pineapple and lime shaken into a chilled coupe.
- Frozen Matador — The vintage deep-saucer version, flash blended with crushed ice.
- Matador Norteño — A sotol, pineapple and chile riff with lemon and rich agave.
Practise making the Matador Norteño in the free Virtual Bar game.