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Slightly Pretentious

Great Cocktails. Spectacular Stays. Only Slightly Pretentious.

Mezcal Margarita Recipe: The Margarita’s Smoky Sibling

July 16, 2020 by Sean 1 Comment

Mezcal Margarita
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Everyone likes a good margarita.

Hell, most of the world will even settle for a bad margarita.

There’s something about that combination of tequila, lime, and orange that leads you to relaxing days – no matter how bad things are in “real life”.

I’ve made my thoughts on artificial mixes pretty clear, and the margarita is no different. If you’re going to do it, do it properly.

Fresh fruit and good booze. Its your call if you want it frozen or on the rocks. Salt or no salt? Your call.

Caveat: There is a time and place for crappy frozen margaritas. The usually involve a vacation and a beach. 

You can even get really fancy and try this ridiculously good avocado margarita.

But sometimes you want to mix it up a little bit.

You want something with a bit of a kick, or frankly, maybe a drink that’s a little less familiar and more unique.

But you still want to take a virtual trip to the beaches of Mexico.

And for you, I’d offer the mezcal margarita.

What is a Mezcal Margarita?

Mezcal Margarita

Just like a traditional margarita, a mezcal margarita simply switches out the tequila for its smoky sibling, mezcal.

There are hundreds of different variations for doing this.

Some call for simply switching out the tequila for mezcal and calling it good.

Others use a split base with both tequila and mezcal.

I’ve also seen people float a 1/2 ounce of mezcal over the top of a margarita – which also is fantastic.

There’s no right or wrong way, but I’ll share with you how I usually make it.

Related: Love mezcal cocktails? Try the Smoking Banana, a delicious simple mezcal cocktail.

How to Make a Mezcal Margarita

Mezcal margarita
Summer nights and mezcal. What more can you ask for.

I love this drink because there are so many ways you can play it depending on how much smoke you like in your drinks.

Here I’m going to share the recipe that I make most often which is a fairly mellow mezcal margarita, that uses my favorite margarita recipe and then just uses a split base of 1.5oz mezcal and .5oz tequila.

I feel like it still gives you a strong mezcal drink, while adding a little bit of extra complexity that you wouldn’t get by just going straight mezcal.

My go to mezcal for this is Casamigos, which I’ve been loving lately. But it isn’t super cheap, so a Vida or other mid range mezcal will work wonderfully as well.

I’d encourage you to experiment. Try using all mezcal, a split base of 1 to 1, and this one which is 3 to 1 mezcal to tequila. Figure out what you like and then report back and let me know.

But my go to recipe is as follows:

  • 1.5oz Mezcal
  • .5oz Reposado Tequila
  • 3/4oz fresh lime juice
  • .5oz Triple sec or Cointreau if you wanna be fancy
  • .5oz simple syrup

Throw it all in a shaker and double strain over a big cube.

In practice this truly feels like a “slightly pretentious” margarita. It feels more refined with the big cube than what you often think of when it comes to margaritas – and I’m totally fine with that.

Feel free to salt the rim if that’s your preference as well.

Remember, if you like it? It’s a great drink, so experiment with what you like and go from there.

Mezcal Margarita

Mezcal Margarita (You Won't Regret This)

This Mezcal Margarita recipe is a great way to make a regular margarita a little more complex and interesting.
Print Recipe
CourseDrinks
CuisineMexican
Keywordsmargarita, mezcal, tequila
GlassRocks
DifficultyEasy
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings1
Calories186kcal
Cost$5

Equipment

  • Juicer
  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Hawthorne Strainer
  • Chinois

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz Mezcal Any mid range will do
  • .5 oz Reposado Margarita I like Espolon
  • .75 oz Fresh lime juice
  • .5 oz Orange Liqueur Triple Sec or Cointreau if you want to be fancy
  • .5 oz Simple Syrup
  • 1 tsp Salt Optional for rim

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients into shaker
  • Shake for 20 seconds
  • OPTIONAL: Salt the rim of a rocks glass
  • Double strain into rocks glass over a big cube

Notes

The mezcal margarita is a slightly more complex version of a regular tequila margarita on the rocks that is a nice change of pace if you want a unique cocktail to sip on.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal

Related: Looking for a more traditional margarita? Try this fantastic margarita recipe.

Filed Under: Cocktail Recipes Tagged With: margarita, mezcal, tequila

About Sean

Sean has spent the last decade teaching people how to build small businesses, playing golf, and sneaking into high class establishments where he probably doesn't belong. Slightly pretentious is a tongue in cheek description of his travels.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marc says

    July 17, 2020 at 9:41 am

    Now we’re talking! This sounds like a winner – and one I just may have to explore this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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