Desert Door Conservation Series #3 Texas Sotol
Desert Door Conservation Series #3 Texas Sotol — named Pollinator — is a 90-proof (45% ABV) botanical-infused Texas sotol: wild-harvested desert spoon (Dasylirion) from West Texas, infused with native botanicals — mesquite, grapefruit, and honeysuckle — at Desert Door's Driftwood, Texas distillery. With every bottle sold, $2 goes to Wild Spirit Wild Places, Desert Door's nonprofit supporting land conservation and native bee restoration. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Spirit: Texas sotol — wild-harvested Dasylirion (desert spoon), unaged
- Size: 750mL
- Botanicals: mesquite, grapefruit, honeysuckle (native Texas plants)
- Distillery: Desert Door, Driftwood, Texas
- Giving: $2 per bottle to Wild Spirit Wild Places (native bee habitat)
For the Bees
Desert Door created the Conservation Series to spotlight people and organizations making real contributions to conservation — and the third release, Pollinator, answers the alarming decline of Texas' native bee population. The botanicals aren't decorative: mesquite, grapefruit, and honeysuckle are all native Texas plants pollinated by native bee species, so the flavor in the glass is literally the bees' landscape. Official notes run floral and almost gin-like — honeysuckle and clover on the nose, buttery vanilla custard and mesquite bean on the palate, persimmon, hibiscus, and sage in the finish — yet unmistakably Texan. Every bottle sends $2 to Wild Spirit Wild Places for land conservation and bee restoration. Discover more in sotol and cocktails, or browse Desert Door.
Tasting Notes
Floral notes, vanilla, honeysuckle, and clover on the nose. The palate — "on the lips," as the brand puts it — shows buttery vanilla custard, mesquite bean, and rosemary, finishing with persimmon, hibiscus, and sage. Botanical and floral, described as gin-like yet distinctly of the Texas desert.
How to Enjoy
Treat it like a botanical gin with a wild streak: excellent in a G&T-style serve with grapefruit peel, or in sotol-forward cocktails where the mesquite and honeysuckle can stretch out. At 90 proof it has the backbone for bold mixing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sotol?
A distilled spirit from the wild-harvested desert spoon plant (Dasylirion) of West Texas and northern Mexico — agave's rugged cousin, with its own earthy, vegetal character.
What botanicals are in Pollinator?
Mesquite, grapefruit, and honeysuckle — all native Texas plants pollinated by native bees.
Where does the $2 per bottle go?
To Wild Spirit Wild Places, Desert Door's nonprofit supporting land conservation and native bee habitat restoration.
Does it taste like gin?
It's often described as gin-like — floral and botanical — but the sotol base makes it distinctly Texan, not a gin imitation.
Drink for the bees — order Desert Door Conservation Series #3 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.