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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.

Mezcal cocktails

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 take care: too much and it can overpower the flavors!

As cocktail experts with all the great cocktail recipes under our belt, we’ve tinkered with this smoky spirit to find our top mezcal cocktails to make at home. It’s stellar with lime and tequila as 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 great ideas on how to infuse mezcal into your favorite cocktails.

And now…the top mezcal cocktails to try!

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.
  • How much does mezcal cost? A bottle of mezcal on average costs between $20 and $40, but high end brands can cost much more.
  • What’s the best mezcal to buy? Go to The Best Mezcal at Any Price.

More cocktail recipes

There are so many types of cocktail recipes to try! Here are some of our best drink collections:

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Mezcal margarita

Top 10 Mezcal Cocktails


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

Make a mezcal margarita for a smoky spin on the classic! It’s tangy and smoke-forward, giving this popular cocktail a rich depth.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. 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).
  2. Place the mezcal, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with 4 ice cubes and shake until cold.
  3. 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.

  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Mezcal cocktails, Mezcal margarita

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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