So what are you drinking on Cinco de Mayo? If you are into hot (as in spicy) and smoky, then you might want to be drinking this super refreshing Mezcal Margarita.
I have a slight obsession with smoky foods and almost always have to order the cocktail on a bar menu that has Mezcal in it. It's a lot of fun to switch up the traditional Margarita with tequila's cousin. Not everyone loves the smoky flavor, and that's totally fine and leaves more for us.
The heat comes from jalapeño peppers and the smokiness from the mezcal. If you aren't into the heat, you can leave out the jalapeños. If you love heat, maybe add more than I did. If you don't love smoke, you could use Tequila instead of Mezcal. If none of these flavors are for you, then you probably wouldn't be here right now.
Watch the Steps
Ingredients
- 2 Jalapeño slices seeds removed
- Ice
- 1.5 oz Mezcal
- 1.5 oz Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
- 1 oz lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Agave nectar
- Coarse salt
- Lime wheels and additional Jalapeño slices for garnish
Instructions
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass, then role the rim in coarse salt to coat. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the Jalapeño slices, then add the ice, mezcal, triple sec, lime juice and agave nectar.
- Shake until frost starts to form on the cocktail shaker, about 30 seconds.
- Pour into the glass through a strainer and garnish with a lime wheel and a jalapeño slice.
Hibbie says
Refreshing..but I drank too many
Rhonda Horowitz says
Perfect balance!!! Love it! Rim w/ half salt half smokey paprika or tajin
justin says
That smoked paprika or tajin rim is a great idea! Love it.
Mary Strimel says
This is God's best cocktail with the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, and tangy. I didn't have fresh peppers (and I'm not supposed to be eating them) so I used Bittermen's Habanero Shrub for heat.
justin says
So glad you like it, Mary! Great to hear that you can use the shrub and it still comes out great. Cheers!
Obeast says
Super tasty drink!
I like a bit more jalapeño and a little less agave syrup.
¡Muy satisfecho!
justin says
So glad to hear it came out super tasty. Cheers!
Aaron says
Really good and easy to make. Great to batch.
justin says
Thanks, Aaron! Great idea to batch it for a soon to be very happy crowd. 🙂
Isadora Guidoni says
Damn, this mezcal margarita looks so delicious!! Thank you for sharing the details, I can't wait to try it!!
justin says
Thank you, Isadora. It is delicious. I think I could go for one today. Let me know how yours turns out. 🙂
Tony Rozoff says
Amazing cocktail. Smokey and not too sweet. Very refreshing on a hot day
justin says
Love to hear it, Tony! Thanks for trying it out.