Update: This works just as well on OS X Mavericks. Also, if you need to add legacy Java 1.6 support back into your system, download and install Java for OS X 2014-001.

My MacBook Pro has Maven 3.0.3 on it: 


$ mvn -version

Apache Maven 3.0.3 (r1075438; 2011-02-28 17:31:09+0000)

Maven home: /usr/share/maven

Java version: 1.7.0_17, vendor: Oracle Corporation

Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.7.0_17.jdk/Contents/Home/jre

Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: UTF-8

OS name: "mac os x", version: "10.8.4", arch: "x86_64", family: "mac"

I don't want that. I want Maven 2.2.1.

/usr/share/maven
is just a symlink to the install directory, so install version 2.2.1 and swap the symlink. Done.

Install Maven 2.2.1 using Homebrew:


brew tap homebrew/versions

brew install maven2

==> Downloading http://www.apache.org/dist/maven/maven-2/2.2.1/binaries/apache-maven-2.2.1-bin.tar.gz

######################################################################## 100.0%

Move the symlink and recreate:


cd /usr/share

sudo mv maven maven-3.0.3

sudo ln -s /usr/local/Cellar/maven2/2.2.1 maven

Now check:


mvn -version

Apache Maven 2.2.1 (r801777; 2009-08-06 20:16:01+0100)

Java version: 1.6.0_51

Java home: /System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home

Default locale: en_US, platform encoding: MacRoman

OS name: "mac os x" version: "10.8.4" arch: "x86_64" Family: "mac"

Lovely. Job done.

Further reading