In Search of a Heavenly Ambrosia

Years ago in Colombia I found a heavenly liqueur called Maracuya, Convier… de las Frutas de Colombia. Searching for years I could never find it again. It was ambrosia… over ice cream, restorative. Recently I heard that Costa Rica was producing it. What is it made of and where can I buy it?

Jeanne Flynn Stough

San Antonio, Texas

Last year saw the birth of Awapa Wine, a wine made from the tropical fruit maracuya (passion fruit). The Costa Rican-made wine is the child of Roy Lent, Ivar Zapp and Gary Luedke (TT, Nov. 18, 2005). While it has received the accolades of wine-makers and tasters, it may not be exactly what you are looking for.

Both Awapa and Convier, produced by the Colombian company Constain Licores de Colombia Ltda, or Coloma, share the strong flavor and aroma of passion fruit – an egg-shaped fruit that varies in color with a bright flesh around seeds inside.

However, Awapa Wine is a light and fruity demi-sec wine, with all the semblance of a traditional wine, only made from passion fruit instead of grapes. The Coloma’s liquor “ambrosia,” on the other hand, is described as having the rich flavor of a schnapps, without the bite. Coloma calls it an aperitif.

Awapa Wine is available in hotels, restaurants and gift shops throughout Costa Rica, as well as Saretto grocery store in the southwest suburb of Escazú. For more information about the wine and where to find it, e-mail info@awapa.co.cr. It is not yet being exported.

Convier… de las Frutas de Colombia continues to be produced. However, it is not exported to the United States either. Coloma can be reached in Bogotá, Colombia at (571) 267-3940.