Aotearoa O Tipēke

We’re thrilled to showcase an incredible cocktail crafted by the talented bartender Hollie Wright @holliewrightxx featuring our TeKiwi in her entry for the Cointreau Margarita Challenge!

Presenting the ‘Aotearoa O Tipēke’, a sweet but refreshing, intoxicating beverage orange tea crafted with a blend of rich fruits and herbs, designed to revitalise your day with a burst of flavour and a boost of wellness all while showcasing the local produce of New Zealand.

Ingredients

30ml Tequilana
20ml Cointreau
20ml Apricot shrub (recipe below)
30ml Apricot spiced tea (recipe below)
30ml Fresh lime juice
3 drops Homemade bitters (recipe below)

Method

Shake all ingredients with ice.
Double strain into a rimmed short glass, served straight up.
Garnish with Cointreau apricot caviar on the side.

Support Hollie Wright's entry and check out her cocktail here. Cheers to creativity and world-class cocktails! 🍸✨

Recipe Components

Ingredients

250g Apricot flesh, chopped
125g Sugar
125g Water
75g Apple vinegar
5 Cinnamon sticks
4 Star anise
5 Cloves

Method

Peel apricots and set the peels aside for later.
Chop the apricot flesh and place it in a saucepan with sugar, water, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves.
Heat and stir for 10 minutes, then let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Allow to cool for 1 hour, then add apple vinegar to finish the shrub.

Ingredients

200g Blended apricots
3 Cinnamon sticks
10 Cloves
125g Sugar
2 cups Water
2 Black tea bags
1/4 cup Lemon juice

Method

Place cinnamon and cloves in a cheesecloth, tying securely.
Bring water to a boil with the spice bag, then remove from heat.
Add tea bags, blended apricots, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
Let infuse for 5-10 minutes, then remove the spice bag and strain.

About the Cointreau Margarita Challenge

The 2025 Cointreau Margarita Challenge invites professional bartenders worldwide to craft innovative Margaritas that embody sustainability and creativity. Participants are required to use at least 25 ml of Cointreau L'Unique and salt, incorporating every part of a selected fruit—from flesh to peel to leaves—to minimize waste and maximize flavor.

Learn more

TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Tequilana

TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Tequilana is made from the famous plant Agave Tequilana Weber Blue with the same age-old process as it has been done for centuries. Our spirit from New Zealand is called, TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Tequilana.

We cultivate our Weber Blue Agave Tequilana plants on our own Agave Farm and Distillery in Golden Bay, New Zealand. The plants thrive in their Pacific island home, growing at sea level in rich alluvium soil. We use water drawn from the deep aquifers of Golden Bay, these waters are the same that feed the world renowned massive freshwater spring, Te Waikoropupū Springs. This spring is acknowledged to be the world’s clearest water at 81 meters clear visibility, it is fed from ancient subterranean alpine rivers that travel through limestone deep under the high mountains of New Zealand.

The terroir of New Zealand and our commitment to keeping to the traditional methods have resulted in a astonishing, smooth and rounded blanco spirit with a unmistakably pure agave taste. There is a limited release of 300 bottles a year presented in beautiful hand blown glass bottles. TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Tequilana Spirit is a authentic expression of New Zealand grown Weber Blue Agave Tequilana, completely unique and truly exceptional.