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Very rarely do I see fresh guava in grocery stores near me, so when I happened upon them this week I snatched up a whole container! I’ve made guava cocktails in the past using nectar or juice, but haven’t experimented much with the fruit itself because I can never find it. So I was excited to finally get my hands on some and let the cocktail testing begin!

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But I have to admit, I was very disappointed to cut into them expecting to see bright pink flesh like the fresh guava I’ve enjoyed in my travels only to find boring old white flesh staring back at me. I thought maybe they weren’t ripe or something was wrong with them, so I consulted trusty old Google.

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It turns out that there are more than 100 types of guava! They come in red, white, and golden varieties, each with different flavors and textures. All I can say is bless my own heart for not knowing this!

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The ones I bought turned out to be “common guava,” which I have to say is a very fitting name for them. No offense to anyone who likes them, but I found them to be flavorless, the texture unappealing, and the seeds hard and annoying. Far from the juicy, sweet, pink guava I wanted them to be! So needless to say, they didn’t really lend themselves to cocktail making.

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However, their scent is absolutely delightful! Which makes them a beautiful garnish because you start smelling guava before you even sip the drink. And since smelling is about 80% of tasting, they ended up serving an important purpose after all!

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Although the actual fruit didn’t make its way into this drink, guava nectar more than made up for it. After a bit of trial and error I landed on this concoction and I’m absolutely in love with it! Tropical and fruity with the most beautiful aroma and color, it’s a perfect sipper for these long, lingering dog days of summer.

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Did you know there were so many guava varieties in the world? Tell me your favorite type in the comments below!