Onilikan Mexican Gin
Onilikan Mexican Gin is a 40% ABV, 750mL gin from Onilikan, the small artisanal distillery in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Per the specialist retailer description carried for this gin, its base is blue agave spirit distilled three times to neutralise the agave flavour; juniper is then added and the spirit distilled a fourth time, with the botanicals macerated in the still — a balance, in that description, between juniper and the scents of Mexican herbology, soft, sweet and refined on the palate. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40% (retailer-reported — see applier flag)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Mexican gin, agave-based
- Base: Blue agave spirit, distilled three times to neutral (retailer description)
- Botanicals: Juniper (the only botanical named by a source); further botanicals macerated in the still, list not published
- Origin: Onilikan, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
An Agave Distillery's Gin, from Mazatlan
Onilikan is a small distillery in Mazatlan's Golden Zone, known locally for mango liqueurs, fruit spirits and agave spirits grown and distilled in Sinaloa — a house that works in the agave world first. Its gin follows that logic: instead of a grain base, the starting spirit is blue agave, distilled clean before juniper and botanicals enter on a final pass. Mazatlan sits outside the Tequila DO, which is why Onilikan's own agave spirits cannot carry the tequila name — and why its gin is a genuinely Mexican original. Find it in our gin range, browse the wider spirits shelf, or visit the Onilikan vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Character: The carried description for this gin promises a balance between juniper and Mexican herbal scents, tasting soft, sweet and refined — a gentle, approachable gin rather than a juniper bomb. No fuller producer tasting notes were retrievable; expect a smooth, lightly herbal pour.
How to Enjoy
Its soft profile suits a gin and tonic with a lime twist, where the herbal notes can show, or a wet martini. It is also a natural pick for drinkers arriving at gin from agave spirits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mexican gin made from? At Onilikan, the base is blue agave spirit — distilled three times to a neutral character before juniper is added for a fourth distillation, per the retailer's product description.
Why isn't Onilikan's agave spirit called tequila? Mazatlan, Sinaloa is outside the Tequila Denomination of Origin, so Sinaloa agave spirits cannot use the tequila name — the same geography that makes this gin a distinctively Mexican take on the category.
Where is Onilikan made? At the Onilikan distillery in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, on Mexico's Pacific coast — a small house known for mango liqueurs and agave spirits.
A Sinaloa original for the gin shelf — pick up Onilikan Mexican Gin online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA, while this small-batch import is in.