Tequila Banana

G4 reposado, Macvin du Jura, and an enzyme-clarified banana cordial — tropical complexity, spirit-forward intention.

Recipe by Miles Macquarrie, Kimball House, Decatur, Georgia.

The intersection of tequila and banana seems unlikely until you consider how both arrive at similar flavor territory through different routes: tequila's vegetal, cooked agave sweetness and banana's soft, ester-forward fruitiness share more than you'd expect. Add the grape-based sweetness of Macvin du Jura (a French vin de liqueur made from grape must and marc brandy) and you have a drink that is simultaneously exotic and curiously comfortable.

Miles Macquarrie at Kimball House built this around a house-made banana cordial that represents serious technical work: raw bananas processed with amylase (to break down starches into sugars) and Pectinex (an enzyme that breaks down pectin, improving juice yield), then centrifuged for clarity. The result is a banana liquid of extraordinary purity — all the flavor without the heaviness or the brown oxidation that makes fresh banana difficult to work with.

The G4 reposado tequila brings agave complexity and barrel warmth. Clement Bana Canne, a banana-infused rhum agricole from Martinique, echoes and amplifies the banana cordial. The clarified lime juice keeps it bright without adding volume or pulp. This is modern cocktail technique at full expression: house-made components, enzyme processing, and centrifuge clarity in service of a drink that tastes, on first sip, simply excellent.

Tequila Banana cocktail in a coupe glass, pale gold-yellow, elegant professional lighting

Single Serve

1.5 oz

G4 Reposado Tequila

Clean, agave-forward with gentle barrel warmth

0.75 oz

Macvin du Jura

French vin de liqueur — grape must and marc brandy, lightly oxidative

0.75 oz

Banana Cordial

House-made — see below

0.25 oz

Clement Bana Canne

Banana rhum agricole from Martinique

1 tsp

Clarified Lime Juice

Freshly strained, no pulp

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Garnish: nasturtium flower, lime wheels

Rocks glass, diamond-cut crystal

Steps

Chill a rocks glass.

Combine tequila, Macvin, banana cordial, Bana Canne, and lime juice in a mixing glass with ice.

Stir for 25-30 seconds — this is a stirred drink, not shaken.

Strain into rocks glass over a large ice cube.

Garnish with nasturtium flower and lime wheel.

Banana Cordial

This is the technical centerpiece of the drink. Raw banana is processed with enzymes to maximize juice yield and achieve clarity that would be impossible through simple blending. The result is a shelf-stable, crystal-clear banana liquid with extraordinary intensity.

Note: This recipe requires a sous vide circulator and ideally a centrifuge for clarity. A fine-mesh strainer plus coffee filter pass is a workable home substitute.

1500 g

Very Ripe Bananas (peeled)

The riper the better — more ester flavor

450 g

Water

150 g

Granulated Sugar

10 g

Amylase enzyme

Breaks starch into sugar

10 g

Pectinex SPL

Breaks down pectin for better juice yield

Process: Purée bananas, water, and sugar together. Add amylase and Pectinex. Vacuum seal or cover tightly and cook sous vide at 150°F for 3 hours. Remove and let cool slightly. Centrifuge or strain through fine-mesh then coffee filter for maximum clarity.

To finish the cordial: Weigh the banana "juice." Then add: 50% of its weight in granulated sugar, 20% of its weight in Clement Bana Canne, 1% citric acid, 0.5% malic acid. Stir until fully dissolved. Bottle and refrigerate. Keeps 2 weeks.

Home version: skip enzymes, use very ripe bananas, and accept a less clear result. Strain aggressively through cheesecloth. The flavor will be slightly earthier but the cordial will work well in the drink.

Flavor Notes

First sip

Banana arrives first — not the artificial banana of cheap liqueurs, but clean, fresh, ester-forward fruit. The agave sweetness of reposado tequila follows immediately behind.

Mid-palate

Macvin du Jura adds an oxidative, grape-adjacent richness that makes the drink feel substantial. The Bana Canne rhum agricole adds tropical funk and depth. The citrus stays quietly in the background.

Finish

Dry and long. The barrel character from the reposado tequila lingers. The banana fades gracefully rather than cloying. Surprisingly elegant.

Variations

Without Macvin du Jura

Substitute with a dry amontillado sherry (0.5 oz) and add 0.25 oz honey syrup. Macvin is obscure but worth sourcing — it's the structural anchor of the drink.

Simpler banana component

Use 0.5 oz Giffard Banane du Brésil liqueur instead of the house-made cordial plus Bana Canne. The drink loses considerable depth but is immediately buildable.