20 Must-Try Mezcal Cocktails

Cocktails with mezcal are a delightful and smoky twist on traditional mixed drinks. Mezcal, a spirit made from the agave plant, brings a unique and complex flavor profile to cocktails, adding a hint of earthiness and a touch of sweetness. This versatile liquor can be mixed with a variety of ingredients to create refreshing and intriguing drinks that are sure to captivate the taste buds.

If you’re someone who enjoys exploring new and adventurous flavors, cocktails with mezcal might be right up your alley. The smoky notes of mezcal lend themselves well to creative and bold cocktail recipes, making it a great choice for those who appreciate a more unconventional and artisanal approach to mixology. Whether you’re sipping a mezcal cocktail at a trendy bar or mixing one up at home, the distinct character of this spirit is sure to appeal to anyone looking for a unique and memorable drinking experience.

Mezcal Margarita

Everyone loves a margarita. The classic mixed drink is a favorite of Taco Tuesdays and Happy Hours alike. Margaritas temper their sharp citrus tang with a salt rim. The mezcal margarita deepens the flavor palate into something smoky and complex. The mezcal margarita recipe is simple but strong. This mezcal cocktail is for sipping, not chugging. Stock your liquor cabinet with mezcal, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Mix the ingredients and enjoy.
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Mezcal Mule

The mezcal mule keeps the donkey but loses the vodka. This variation on the classic Moscow mule is cool and refreshing. Grab your copper mugs, mezcal, lime juice, and ginger beer. Mix it all together and enjoy. The ginger beer provides a pleasant, spicy bite and a bright burst of bubbles on the tongue. Fresh lime juice lends the mezcal mule a citrus tart. The result is a smoky, vibrant sip, perfect for a summer night.
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Mezcal Paloma

This mezcal paloma is certain to awaken all of your taste buds. The cocktail mixes sweet, citrus, bitter, and spicy flavors into one invigorating drink. A chili-salt rim starts this paloma out on the right foot. You’ll need to prepare honey simple syrup, which adds a few more minutes to your prep time. However, making the cocktail is simple. Mix mezcal, grapefruit juice, and honey simple syrup. Top the concoction with club soda for a bubbly burst. This is one of my favorite mezcal cocktails.
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Smoky Mezcal Negroni

Negronis are pretty perfect, but mezcal manages to improve upon perfection. The smoky mezcal negroni tastes like a fruity campfire. Pull out this recipe when you want to impress your friends without breaking a sweat. The charred orange garnish looks beautiful on every glass. Home-made smoked simple syrup sounds harder to make than it is. Mix the ingredients with Campari, sweet vermouth, and mezcal, and enjoy a mezcal negroni!
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Mezcal Sour

The sour family of cocktails is wider than many drinkers realize. While the whiskey sour may be the golden child, the mezcal sour provides a delicious, smoky twist on a classic. A mezcal sour is an incredibly smooth and drinkable citrus drink. These mezcal cocktails are perfect for intermediate bartenders. Frothed egg whites top the sour, providing an extra creaminess. However, achieving the perfect consistency takes time and patience. The recipe calls for a few ingredients. Mix the mezcal, egg white, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Shake vigorously and enjoy over ice.
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Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno Mezcalita

Don’t be frightened by the name. The spicy pineapple jalapeno mezcalita may sound too busy, but the flavors complement each other, creating a fun, tropical sip. This recipe, perfect for livening up date night, makes two caliente mezcal cocktails. The mezcalita takes a bit of skill and may be a bit advanced for beginner bartenders. Before mixing the drink, check your pantry for the ingredients. The spicy pineapple jalapeno mezcalita calls for mezcal, jalapeno, orange liqueur, lime juice, pineapple juice, and cilantro. You’ll need to muddle and infuse, but the resulting cocktail is worth the effort.
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Mezcal Grapefruit Cocktail

The mezcal grapefruit cocktail is a complex and delicious alternative to lemonade. The grapefruit juice and mezcal fuse into a rich, citrus melange. Each serving comes together quickly and easily. Mix up a few for a summertime picnic to delight your friends. Mix smoky mezcal, grapefruit juice, and lemon-lime soda. You could also use grapefruit soda. Each sip bursts with fruit flavor and tingling bubbles.
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Fresh Mezcalitas

The fresh mezcalita adds an extra orange punch to the classic margarita. Paired with a salt and spice rim, the cocktail is the perfect spicy accompaniment to Taco Tuesday. Preparing the rim is the hardest part of making the cocktail. Once you’ve completed that, simply mix mezcal, orange juice, lime juice, and angostura bitters. Serve the mezcalita over ice for the best drinking experience.
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Mezcal Old Fashioned

Mezcal isn’t limited to summer cocktails. The liquor provides the key component to the smoky mezcal old-fashioned, a perfect autumn drink and a twist on the classic cocktail. The mezcal old-fashioned is as cozy as a drink comes. The cocktail tastes like a slice of apple pie, enjoyed by the fireplace. The recipe is fairly simple to make but does require some preliminary preparation. Bartenders need to make apple syrup in advance. Mix the prepared syrup with mezcal and orange bitters.
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Pineapple Mezcal Sour

Impress your friends with these fruity mezcal cocktails. The pineapple mezcal sour looks impressive, but it’s easy to make. This creamy, flavorful cocktail allows you to show off your bartending skills by creating the perfect, foamy drink. It doesn’t require any special abilities. The pineapple mezcal sour requires plenty of vigorous shaking. The simple recipe calls for several ingredients. Add mezcal, pineapple juice, agave syrup, lime juice, and bitters to your store list.
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Clementine Mezcal Margarita

Break out the juicer! The clementine mezcal margarita calls for fresh orange juice and lime juice. This summertime cocktail packs a powerful citrus punch into seven fluid ounces. The paprika and salt rim cuts some of the drink’s sweetness. Mezcal adds depth and smoke to every sip. The drink is ideal for parties. Every single serving mixes up quickly and easily. Simply combine the fruit juices, mezcal, and Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur.
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Strawberry Mezcal Sour

We revisit the sour cocktail family, this time with strawberries in toe. The strawberry mezcal sour tastes like a summer day. While the strawberry mezcal sour isn’t difficult to make, it requires some rudimentary techniques. You’ll need to muddle ingredients and vigorously shake the liquids. Making the egg white foamy requires time and endurance. The recipe calls for ginger, smoky mezcal, lime juice, strawberry preserves, and an egg white.
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Naked and Famous

A cocktail called Naked & Famous promises to make your Saturday night memorable. The orange drink carries a strong citrus flavor. The cocktail packs a pretty strong alcohol punch, so savor each sip. This recipe modifies the classic last word cocktail into something smokier and more complex. Even novice bartenders can master this drink. Simply mix mezcal, orange-red aperitivo, yellow chartreuse liqueur, and lime juice. 
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Jalapeno Mezcal Paloma

Jalapeno makes a spicy return to our list in the jalapeno mezcal paloma. You might want to keep a glass of milk handy for this powerful cocktail. Allow a little extra preparation time for the jalapeno mezcal paloma. You’ll need to make jalapeno simple syrup before mixing the drink. Combine the simple syrup with mezcal, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. Add a dash of club soda for effervescent, and you’ve got a delicious citrus drink! Garnish with a lime wedge.
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Smokey Blackberry Mezcal Cocktail

Bartenders often pair mezcal with citrus. The smokey blackberry mezcal cocktail shuns the tradition, incorporating plenty of blackberry flavor. The recipe calls for blackberry puree, which needs to be prepared ahead of time. Combine the puree, mezcal, lime juice, and bitters. Mix thoroughly and serve over ice. The smokey blackberry mezcal cocktail is sweet and a little bit tart. While the cocktail recipe makes a single serving, the puree recipe makes enough for eight drinks, so invite your whole squad to happy hour.
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Cactus Flower

You won’t find a prettier drink than the cactus flower cocktail. Looks aren’t everything, so it’s lucky that the bright pink beverage combines an impressive array of bright fruit flavors. Plan ahead. The cactus flower requires watermelon-infused mezcal. Achieving maximum fruit flavor requires 24 to 48 hours. Once the mezcal is infused, mix it with lime juice, ginger liqueur, and prickly pear syrup. Serve the spicy, fruity cocktail chilled.
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Smokin’ Berries

No berries are actually burnt in the making of the smokin’ berries cocktail. The fruit-forward drink features blackberry puree. Prepare the blackberry puree ahead of time. Don’t be intimidated; the process is simple! Once you’ve prepared the puree, add mezcal, Drambuie, lime juice, and bitters. The drink, best served chilled, is sweet, fruity, and has just a hint of smoky flavor.
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Cara Cara Mezcal Sour

The cara cara mezcal sour is as much a work of art as it is a cocktail. The drink is by far the most aesthetically pleasing on this list. Cara cara orange juice lends a sweet, tangy flavor to the sour. A thoroughly shaken egg white creates a thick, white foam. Check your pantry for mezcal, cara cara orange juice, lemon, and agave nectar. Mix everything in a shaker and serve in a fancy glass. 
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Oaxacan Mezcal and Basil Cocktail

The Oaxacan mezcal and basil cocktail makes the mezcal the star. The cocktail pairs the smoky liquor with basil’s herbal notes and plenty of lime bite. This recipe calls for some muddling, so grab your mortar and pestle. Once you’ve muddled some lime and basil, add mezcal, lime juice, and agave syrup. Mix it all together and serve over ice. A bacon-salt rim pulls the drink together, adding a hint of savory to the sweetness. These mezcal cocktails are sure to impress!
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Aperol Cocktail with Mezcal and Honey Simple Syrup

The Aperol cocktail with mezcal and honey simple syrup is the perfect drink to sip on a summer evening. The titular honey simple syrup cooks up easily. Simply combine honey and water over heat, and reduce. The syrup provides a sweetness that cuts through the bright citrus of the lime juice. Aperol adds a hint of bitterness that beautifully complements the smoky mezcal. 
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