How to Drink Metaxa

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

Metaxa is an aged Greek spirit that's a blend of brandy and wine. The drink itself has an aromatic yet smooth flavor with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices. Metaxa comes in multiple variations including the 5 Star, 7 Star, and 12 Star, as well as specialty blends. Each star represents a year the liquor has been aged. While Metaxa is delicious on its own, you can also use it to make a tasty cocktail or sangria. Regardless of how you serve it, Metaxa is a drink that you can enjoy with family or friends.

Things You Should Know

Drink Metaxa on its own in a rocks glass, filling the glass either a quarter or halfway; optionally, you can add ice cubes or drink it as a shot instead.
Metaxa cocktails combine orange juice, lime juice, liquid sugar cane, and a shot of Metaxa, shaken vigorously and poured out into a glass.
Metaxa Sangria is a delicious mix of lemon, orange, and watermelon slices with Metaxa, red wine, and agave nectar, refrigerated and served cold.

Ingredients

Metaxa Cocktail

5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of Metaxa
5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of orange juice
2 cl (0.68 fl oz) of lime juice
1.5 cl (0.51 fl oz) of liquid sugar cane
Grapefruit slice (optional)
Orange zest (optional)
Chocolate shreds (optional)

Makes 1 drink.

Metaxa Sangria

1 lemon
1 orange
.5 lb (230 g) of watermelon
¹⁄₂ c (120 ml) of Metaxa
3.2 c (760 ml) bottle red wine
3 US tbsp (44 ml) of agave nectar

Makes 1 pitcher.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Drinking Metaxa on Its Own

1
Drink Metaxa in a rocks glass. If you love the taste of Metaxa, this is the purest way to drink it. A rocks glass, also called a lowball or old-fashioned glass, is a small glass that you can use to drink most liquors. Pour the Metaxa into the glass a quarter or a halfway and sip on it to enjoy it in its pure form.^{[1]
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- If you prefer your Metaxa chilled, leave the bottle in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2
Add ice cubes to the drink to chill it. If you prefer your liquor to be ice cold when you drink it, add one or two ice cubes to the rocks glass. This will also slightly water down the Metaxa as it melts which will make it taste less intense.^{[2]
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- Large, square ice cubes work best with Metaxa.
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3
Take shots of Metaxa to celebrate or avoid the taste. If you don’t prefer the taste of Metaxa but want to drink it, you can take shots of it. While it isn’t the most traditional way to drink the liquor, it could be appropriate when celebrating. Fill the shot glass up and tilt your head back. Try to drink the contents of the shot in one gulp.
- You should not take more than 1 or 2 shots in a 1-2 hour period because of the high alcohol content.
- You can mix the shot with an equal amount of Kahlua or creme de cacao to make it taste creamy.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making an Metaxa Cocktail

1
Frost a cocktail shaker and tall glass for a colder drink. A cocktail shaker is a metal cup that you can use to mix cocktails and can be purchased from department stores or online. Place the cocktail shaker and tall glass into the freezer for 15 minutes to frost them. This will help keep the drink cool as you mix it.^{[4]
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- You can also pour the ingredients in the glass and mix it with a spoon, but they won’t be as well incorporated.
2
Pour a shot of orange juice and a shot of Metaxa into the shaker. Use a jigger to measure out about 1 shot, or about 5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of Metaxa and 1 shot of orange juice directly into the shaker. If you don’t have a shaker, pour them directly into the tall glass you’ll use to drink the Metaxa.^{[5]
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- Replace the orange juice with cranberry juice for a more tart drink.^{[6]
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3
Pour 2 cl (0.68 fl oz) of lime juice and liquid sugar cane into the drink. Pour 2 cl (0.68 fl oz) of both liquids directly into the shaker. You can also use agave nectar as an alternative to sugar cane. The sugar cane or nectar will add a sweetness to the drink while the lime juice will add a tart flavor.^{[7]
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- You can replace liquid sugar cane with high-fructose corn syrup but it won’t be as healthy.
4
Shake the drink and pour it into a tall glass. Attach the lid to the shaker and shake the drink up and down over your shoulder vigorously. Then, remove the lid to the shaker and strain it out into a tall glass.^{[8]
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- Straining the drink will remove any pulp from the juice that you added to it.
5
Garnish the top of the drink and serve it. Metaxa cocktails are typically garnished with a grapefruit slice, orange zest, or chocolate shreds. Grapefruit or orange will add a fresh citrus taste to the drink while chocolate shreds will add sweetness.^{[9]
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- Other popular garnishes that go well with Metaxa include lime zest, grapes, and orange slices.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating Metaxa Sangria

1
Cut 1 lemon and 1 orange into slices. If you want to eat the fruit directly from the drink, peel the lemon and orange before you cut it. Then, hold the lemon on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut it into .5 in (1.3 cm) thick slices. Do the same thing to the orange.
- If you don’t peel the fruit first, thoroughly rinse it under cold water before you cut it to remove harmful pesticides and dirt on the skin.
2
Dice .5 pounds (230 g) of watermelon into cubes. Peel the skin off the watermelon first. Then, cut the watermelon into small 1 in × 1 in (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm) squares. Once you’ve cut up around .5 lb (230 g) of watermelon, or about 3 cups, set it aside for later.^{[10]
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- If your watermelon has seeds, remove the seeds from the pulp with a small spoon.
3
Mix ¹⁄₂ c (120 ml) of Metaxa and 3.2 c (760 ml) of red wine in a pitcher. The Metaxa and red wine blend will serve as the base of your Sangria. Pour both of them into a large pitcher and use a spoon with a long handle to mix it together until both liquids are well incorporated.
- You’ll know when both liquids are well mixed when the colors blend together into a dark red.
4
Add the fruit and 3 US tbsp (44 ml) of agave nectar into the pitcher. Carefully place the cut up watermelon, lemon slices, and orange slices into the pitcher and use the spoon to mix it up. Then, measure 3 US tbsp (44 ml) of agave nectar and pour it into the pitcher.
- The orange and lemon slices will add a slightly bitter, citrus flavor to the drink.
- The agave nectar adds sweetness to the drink.
5
Mix the drink together for 4-5 minutes with a large spoon. Continue mixing the drink thoroughly until all the ingredients are well incorporated. The wine, Metaxa, and fruit will combine to make a sweet and flavorful drink.^{[11]
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- Mash up some of the fruit with the spoon to impart more flavor into the drink.
6
Refrigerate the drink for a minimum of 2 hours and serve. If you want an even colder drink, refrigerate the sangria overnight. This will also allow the fruit to soak up more alcohol. You can serve the sangria in a glass as is, or you can serve it over ice depending on your preference.
- You can store the sangria in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Warnings

Do not drink Metaxa if you plan on driving or operating machinery.

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Over drinking Metaxa could be harmful to your health. Do not consume more than 2 drinks in a 1 hour period.

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