I need a NAVAN vanilla liqueur substitute

Navan is no longer available and I have read licor 43 would be fine or even mcgillicuddys vanilla split with brandy. Not sure what to go with. If navan was available I would just buy a 750. But with the other 2 I mentioned I probably wouldn't buy a 750ml of licor 43 unless it's the closest to navan

[ Edited by: myrongainesbrah 2018-01-28 10:38 ]

I have been chasing a sub for Navan for a few years now. I have seen for sale, but have not bought, some of the remaining stock. Some bought bottles cheap when they halted production, and they are now selling for upwards of $100/bottle. You may have read a few of my posts on non-tiki web sites where I and others have discussed what to substitute with in place of Navan.

Ultimately the solution depends entirely on how EXACT you want to duplicate the Navan either straight or in a cocktail. If this is a requirement for you, then your best bet may be to experiment with one of the several home-made recipes or blends that others have posted. If this is not a requirement, then it may truly be as simple as mixing McGillicuddy's with a French brandy or French cognac. On the other hand, you may be quite happy with McGillicuddy's or Meukow. (Meukow is pronounced "moo-koff") I do not think Licor 43 is a deep and true "vanilla liqueur," as it has many other flavoring ingredients but I read that the vanilla is very forward. Without knowing what the Navan tastes like, how could we be certain what to substitute? I have gone down this road and found myself at the mercy of others' descriptions of Navan's taste from their memories, or from their reports of tasting from the limited remaining stock.

My final approach and decision was based on these thoughts:

1. I would use the McGillicuddy's and try other vanilla liqueurs if they were easy to come by. (Meukow is very easily obtainable at Total Wine for me, but I have not yet bought a bottle. I'm not sure about the Monin brand, and as I said earlier, I think I would avoid the Licor 43.) However there is quite a bit of debate about the flavor and suitability of McGillicuddy's Schnapps versus Meukow Cognac. The posts didn't settle it one way or the other for me. And I'm not aware of how favorably the Monin or Licor vanilla products rate.

2. There are SO many other cocktails out there which I can faithfully re-create (and want to play with) that I stopped being hung up on finding a Navan sub. It's gone, possibly forever, and I decided to just move on. A bottle of McGillicuddy's is in my liquor inventory, and I use it, and I leave it at that. There are just too many other things out there which are also of interest to me. I am at peace, lol...

I hope this rambling post is helpful to you. Let us know what you decide to do, especially if you go and make one of the blends as a sub for Navan.

My bar top has a nice Navan drink mat - a very lucky acquisition a few years back. As a result I think of the Navan dilemma surprisingly frequently.

In the beachbum berry remixed book it says that licor 43 "i f you're skint you can try pinchhitting with licor 43 (just use a little less of it"

[ Edited by: myrongainesbrah 2018-01-28 16:49 ]

Cool, then go for it.

We did a Straw Hat Barmen gig and they brought a vanilla-infused brandy. It needed a bit more orange to truly capture the flavor of Navan. Unfortunately, brandy and real vanilla make for some costly experimentation!

P.S. Rumor has it that a certain Leisure Master has a remaining bottle...

On 2018-01-29 14:30, TikiHardBop wrote:
We did a Straw Hat Barmen gig and they brought a vanilla-infused brandy. It needed a bit more orange to truly capture the flavor of Navan. Unfortunately, brandy and real vanilla make for some costly experimentation!

P.S. Rumor has it that a certain Leisure Master has a remaining bottle...

Who is this certain leisure master that you speak of and is this person willing to sell a bottle?

Mrs. Leisure Master mistakenly tried to sell the bottle once when they were cleaning out their bar and she won't make that mistake again. I'm afraid that it probably isn't for sale.