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Here are all the best mezcal cocktails to try! This Mexican spirit adds a smoky nuance to mixed drinks from the mule to the margarita.
Are you a mezcal fan? This bold, smoky Mexican liquor has cocktail connoisseurs everywhere swooning. The agave-based spirit is great when it’s balanced into a mixed drink, but keep in mind: too much and it can overpower the flavors!
As cocktail experts with all the great cocktail recipes under our belt, Alex and I have tinkered with this smoky spirit to find our top mezcal cocktails to make at home. It’s stellar with lime as a Mezcal Margarita, but it works just as well with ginger beer as a Mezcal Mule or tequila and bitters as the popular Mezcal Old Fashioned. Here are a few more ideas on how to infuse mezcal into your favorite cocktails.
Our top mezcal cocktails
One of the best mezcal cocktails is the Mezcal Margarita! Layering the rich, smoky flavor of mezcal with tequila in a margarita is a no-brainer. The agave-based spirit goes hand-in-hand with the tangy lime! If you love smoky flavors and boozy drinks, you’ll fall hard for this margarita.
Ingredients: Mezcal, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice,
Want a mezcal cocktail that’s sweet, tart, salty, and smoky all at once? Meet the Mezcal Paloma! The sweetness of grapefruit juice contrasts the tart lime and bubbly soda water. Top it off with a background smokiness of mezcal and a salt rim.
Ingredients: Mezcal, tequila. grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, soda water
Looking for a complex, sippable mezcal cocktail? This spin on the Negroni takes all that’s good about the classic drink and makes it even better. The intense smokiness of mezcal perfectly balances the sweetness of the vermouth and bitterness of Campari.
Ingredients: Mezcal, sweet vermouth, Campari
If you’re a Mezcal lover, run don’t walk to to mix up a Oaxaca Old Fashioned! This modern classic cocktail is the pristine union of smoky mezcal, tequila, sweet agave and chocolate bitters.
Ingredients: Tequila reposado, Mezcal, Agave syrup or honey, Angostura or chocolate bitters, orange peel
The Naked and Famous cocktail is as impressive as its name! It’s got only four ingredients but beautifully balanced, the perfect harmony of smoky, citrus, bitter and sweet. It’s crisp, fresh, and modern with a retro flair.
Ingredients: Mezcal, Chartreuse, Aperol. lime juice
Love mezcal? This spin on the classic Moscow mule cocktail has a hint of smoke is full of bubbly, tangy flavor. Using the tequila-based smoky liquor infuses a sharpness to every sip. We love making variations on the Moscow mule, and this one is quite the party trick.
Ingredients: Mezcal. tequila, lime juice, ginger beer
Here’s a fun way to use this agave-based liquor: the Mezcal Sour! This spin on the classic Pisco Sour is smoky and nuanced. It’s balance with a light, sweet tart body and a frothy egg white foam top.
Ingredients: Mezcal, lime juice, Cointreau (or Triple Sec), simple syrup, egg white, Angostura bitters
This smoky, sultry and citrusy pairing of mezcal, Aperol and maraschino liqueur is bold and eye-catching. Each sip is intriguing and makes you both savor and immediately lean in for another.
Ingredients: Mezcal, Aperol, Maraschino liqueur, lime juice
Swap out the vodka in a Bloody Mary for tequila, and you’ve got a whole new drink: the Bloody Maria! So it's only natural to add mezcal here. That simple switch-up gives big flavor returns. Use half tequila and half mezcal for a balanced drink with a twinge of smoke.
Ingredients: Tequila, mezcal, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Horseradish,
Mexican hot sauce, celery salt, black pepper
This sophisticated whiskey drink has a long history and has stood the test of time. It’s got only three ingredients, but there’s so much going on in one sip! Add mezcal and you've got a smoky spin on the classic. Use 1 ounce whiskey and 1 ounce mezcal in the linked recipe.
Ingredients: Rye whiskey, mezcal, sweet red vermouth, Angostura bitters, Luxardo cocktail cherry
More about mezcal
Want to grab a bottle for all these mezcal cocktails? Here’s a bit more about this smoky Mexican spirit and how it’s made:
- Mezcal is a type of alcohol made from the agave plant (like tequila). Tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Only one type of agave plant (blue agave) makes tequila, but mezcal can be made from 11 different varieties of agave. Read more at Mezcal vs Tequila.
- How is mezcal made? What gives mezcal its signature smoky flavor is cooking the agave in pits in the ground. It brings a depth and smokiness you don’t find in tequila.
- What’s the best mezcal to buy? Go to The Best Mezcal at Any Price.
Mezcal Margarita (& More Cocktails)
Make a mezcal margarita for a smoky spin on the classic! It’s tangy and smoke-forward, giving this popular cocktail a rich depth.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ounce* mezcal
- 1 ounce tequila blanco or reposado
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim
- For the garnish: Lime circle
Instructions
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
- Place the mezcal, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with 4 ice cubes and shake until cold.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice and serve.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.
More cocktail recipes
There are so many types of cocktail recipes to try! Here are some of our best drink collections:
- Tequila Cocktails From the margarita to the paloma.
- Vodka Cocktails Try the greats like the Gimlet and Mule.
- Sour Cocktails All the very best sours: Whiskey Sour, Sidecar, Mojito and more.
- Cointreau Cocktails All the great drinks using this orange liqueur.
- Gin Cocktails All the classics: Gin Fizz, Tom Collins, Gin & Tonic, etc.
- Bourbon Cocktails Try these bourbon greats, like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
- Scotch Cocktails Unique mixed drinks using this Scottish whisky.
- Campari Cocktails Brilliant red cocktails starring this bitter liqueur.
Let us know if you have any questions!