20 Bar-Worthy Mezcal Cocktails to Make at Home
Mezcal is special stuff, and you don't need to make mezcal cocktails to appreciate the agave spirit's layered, complex flavor. But if you do feel like making a mixed drink at home, you're missing out if you don't have a bottle of mezcal on hand. Once you've got one, the sky's the limit. While it's delicious on its own, we also love to pair mezcal with fresh citrus (or pineapple!) or savory vegetables or flavorful, tannic teas. It's lovely with bittersweet amaro and with spiced liqueurs, with earthy honey and with smoked salt. The cocktail recipes below offer a range of options, from light and refreshing to earthy and deep, something for every drinker in your household.
1/20Everything Good Cocktail
Having a batch of pre-prepped mezcal cocktails on hand means you can bring out the bottle or jar and have a fancy drink with no last-minute effort. Mezcal and chocolate are incredible together; this recipe adds in orange liqueur and a little honey. A chocolate bar to nibble on the side is a good idea.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton3/20Oaxaca Old Fashioned
If we had to select just one essential agave spirit-based cocktail to try, it would be this riff on the Old Fashioned, made with aged tequila, mezcal, and agave nectar.
Photo by Emma Janzen4/20Mezcal Mule
If you like you drinks gingery—and who doesn't?—then you'll love this fresh spin on the Moscow Mule. Using mezcal instead of vodka means a much more flavorful beverage.
Photo by Eva Kolenko5/20Killer Bee
This spin on the Bee's Knees comes from Nopalito in San Francisco (and their cookbook by the same name.) The mezcal adds a savory note that really works with the earthy honey.
6/20Marrakesh Express
In this mezcal cocktail from The One-Bottle Cocktail, fresh pomegranate juice truly shines, with a backdrop of savory harissa heat.
Photo by Ren Fuller8/20La Pina
Smoky mezcal, fresh pineapple juice, serrano chile, and cilantro make for a wonderfully well-rounded, refreshing drink from Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen.
Photo by Kelly Puleio10/20Infinity Pool
If you have a juicer at home, put this savory and refreshing celery and mezcal cocktail on your happy hour menu tonight. A bit of Lillet fills out the drink nicely, and smoked salt makes it even better.
Photo by Emma Janzen15/20Division Bell
Tart, bitter orange kisses roasted agave in this cocktail from New York bartender Phil Ward, which appears in Emma Janzen's book, Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Matt Duckor20/20The Ruby Diamond
If you're working your way through our list of favorite mezcal cocktails, don't skip this rosy number, which features a split base of mezcal and gin, plus fresh citrus and Cappelletti, a bitter and herbal wine-based aperitif that's a bit more mellow than Campari.
