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Donaji

Original Creations
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Author
Del Maguey Team
Date
February 23, 2021

What Is the Donaji Cocktail?

The Donaji is a Oaxacan-inspired citrus cocktail by bartender Julian Cox, named after Donají, the legendary Zapotec princess of Oaxacan lore. It shakes Del Maguey Chichicapa Single Village Mezcal with fresh lime, lemon and orange juices and agave nectar.

What makes it unmistakably Oaxacan is the rim: chapulín salt, made from the toasted grasshoppers that are a beloved local delicacy. The savory, smoky-salty rim frames the drink’s bright triple-citrus core, while pomegranate seeds and lime wheels finish the presentation.

It’s essentially a margarita’s adventurous cousin — fresh, colorful and deeply rooted in the culture that produces the mezcal itself.

BY JULIAN COX — CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

  • Chapulín salt (recipe below), for rimming the glass
  • 2 ounces Del Maguey Chichicapa Single Village Mezcal
  • 3⁄8 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (equal to 21⁄4 teaspoons)
  • 3⁄8 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3⁄4 ounce agave nectar
  • Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
  • 2 lime wheels, for garnish
  • 1 lemon leaf, for garnish
  • Rim a double rocks glass with chapulín salt. Combine all the ingredients, except the garnishes, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into the prepared rocks glass over ice. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, lime wheels, and lemon leaf.

CHAPULÍN SALT

Finely chop dried chapulines (grasshoppers). Mix with an equal quantity of rock salt. 

 

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Donaji FAQ

Any expression works — the recipe lists our recommendation. Vida Clásico and Vida Puebla are approachable, versatile choices for most cocktails, while single village expressions like Chichicapa or Tobalá add more distinctive character.
Del Maguey mezcales are balanced rather than aggressively smoky. In a cocktail, the smoke softens into a warm, roasted-agave depth — citrus, sweetness, and dilution round it out, so the drink stays bright and easy to enjoy.
We recommend freshly squeezed every time. Bottled juice loses the aromatic oils and bright acidity that balance the mezcal, and the difference is easy to taste in a three- or four-ingredient recipe.
Yes. Agave syrup and simple syrup are usually interchangeable, most orange liqueurs can stand in for each other, and garnishes are flexible. Keep the mezcal, the citrus, and the proportions, and the drink will hold together.
Use the Shop Now link at the top of the page to order online, or Find Us to locate a store or bar near you that carries Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal.