Mezcal Cocktails: 30+ Classic & Easy Recipes
Mezcal cocktails take the drinks you already know and give them depth: agave sweetness, gentle smoke and the mineral character of a spirit distilled in small villages across Oaxaca. Swap the base spirit and a Margarita becomes a Mezcal Margarita; do the same to a Negroni or an Old Fashioned and you get a slower, smokier version of each classic.
Mezcal Cocktail Recipes for Enthusiasts and Bartenders
Most of the recipes in this collection start from Vida Clásico, Del Maguey’s espadín mezcal, roasted and twice distilled in wood-fired copper stills in San Luis del Rio; others call for expressions like Chichicapa or Vida de Muertos. Start with the classics below, or browse the full collection of more than 30 recipes, whether you are mixing your first Mezcalita or building a bar menu.
Naked and Famous Cocktail Recipe
Get ready to shake up your cocktail game with the Naked and Famous. This modified version of the renowned Almost Famous cocktail swaps out…
Mezcal Paloma Cocktail Recipe: A Smoky Twist on a Mexican Classic
When it comes to iconic Mexican cocktails, the Paloma holds a well-deserved spot in the spotlight. Traditionally made with tequila, this grapefruit-forward drink is…
Oaxacana Old Fashioned
Indulge in the Oaxacana Old Fashioned, a refined take on the classic Old Fashioned that highlights the depth and smokiness of mezcal from Oaxaca,…
Flor de Piña
MISTY KALKOFEN — BOSTON 1.5 parts Vida de Muertos .5 part Lemon Juice .75 part Simple Syrup 4 1-inch cubes of Pineapple (Muddled) 2…
Pink Ghost
BY CARLOS YTURRIA — SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1-1⁄2 ounces Del Maguey Vida SingleVillage Mezcal 2 ounces strawberry puree or muddled fresh strawberries 1 ounce…
El Último Guerrero Azteca
BY CARLOS SOTO — MEXICO CITY, MEXICO 3⁄4 ounce Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce crème de cacao white liqueur 3⁄4 ounce…
Dr. Feel Good
BY LEO ROBITSCHEK — NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 1 ounce Del Maguey Minero Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce fino sherry 3⁄4 ounce avocado…
Chamán
BY DAVID RIOS — SPAIN 1-3⁄4 ounces Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal or Tobala for extra complexity 1⁄2 ounce morita chile–infused Zacapa 23…
El Fuego Dentro
BY MONICA BERG — OSLO, NORWAY 1-1⁄2 ounces Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal 1⁄2 ounce Linie Aquavit 1⁄2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice…
High Desert Swizzle
BY TOMMY KLUS — PORTLAND, OREGON 1-1⁄2 ounces Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 3⁄4 ounce strawberry shrub…
Donaji
BY JULIAN COX — CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Chapulín salt (recipe below), for rimming the glass 2 ounces Del Maguey Chichicapa Single Village Mezcal 3⁄8 ounce…
Call Ron Cooper
BY ALEX KRATENA AND SIMONE CAPORALE — LONDON, ENGLAND 1-3⁄4 ounces blanco tequila 1 ounce Del Maguey San Luis del Río Single Village Mezcal…
Gallo de Oro
BY SEBASTIEN GANS — PARIS, FRANCE 1 ounce coffee-infused Vida (recipe below) 1 ounce Vermouth Del Professore Bianco 1 teaspoon Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao…
Andrés y Cooper
BY MIGUEL LANCHA — WASHINGTON, DC 3⁄4 ounce Del Maguey Ibérico 3⁄4 ounce Yzaguirre 1884 Sweet Vermouth 3⁄4 ounce Hidalgo Napoleón Amontillado Sherry 1⁄2…
Dusty Roads: A Stirred Mezcal and Cocchi Americano Cocktail with Tobalá
The Dusty Roads is a stirred, low-ABV mezcal cocktail that drinks like an Oaxacan aperitivo. It leans on Del Maguey Tobalá, a splash of…
Quicksand
BY RYAN FITZGERALD — SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1-1⁄2 ounces Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao 3⁄4 ounce Maurin…
The Brave
BY BOBBY HEUGEL — HOUSTON, TEXAS 1-1⁄4 ounces Del Maguey Chichicapa Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce blanco tequila (preferably from the Highlands) 1⁄2 ounce…
La Vida Buena
BY STEVE OLSON — GLOBAL MEZCAL ADVOCATE 1-1⁄2 ounces Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce Carpano Antica 3⁄4 ounce Aperol 3 dashes…
SMF
We are honored this month to feature the SMF, a creation by Mickael Kernoa of La Mezcaleria in Paris. Each month we have the…
Naked and Famous
BY JOAQUÍN SIMÓ — NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 3⁄4 ounce Del Maguey Chichicapa Single Village Mezcal 3⁄4 ounce Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur 3⁄4 ounce…
The Best Mezcal Cocktails Everyone Asks For
The most famous mezcal cocktail is the Mezcal Margarita, also known as the Mezcalita: a Margarita built on smoky espadín instead of tequila. Close behind come the Mezcal Negroni, the Mezcal Paloma and the Mezcal Mule. And these are the three popular modern classics people ask the bartender for by name: simple builds that are hard to get wrong.
Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Del Maguey’s version stirs 1 oz tequila and 1 oz mezcal with agave syrup and chocolate bitters: slow, smoky and stirred, not shaken. Full recipe: Oaxacan Old Fashioned.
Mezcal Last Word
Equal parts mezcal, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime, shaken and strained: herbal, bright and balanced. Full recipe: Mezcal Last Word.
Naked & Famous
Equal parts mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse and lime juice, shaken: bittersweet with the smoke underneath. Full recipe: Naked & Famous.
What Mixes Best with Mezcal
Behind the bar, mezcal takes three kinds of company. Sharp citrus (lime, grapefruit) for shaken drinks like the Paloma and the Mezcalita. Bitter and herbal liqueurs (Campari, Aperol, maraschino, vermouth) for drinks like the stirred Negroni or the shaken Naked & Famous. And long mixers (tonic water, ginger beer, grapefruit soda, even cold brew coffee) when you want a highball you can build in the glass. If the smoke leans heavy, a touch of agave nectar or honey rounds it off. And if you are planning food next to the drinks, here is what pairs well with mezcal at the table.
Easy Mezcal Drinks: Simple Cocktails with 3 Ingredients
The easiest mezcal drinks skip the shaker: pour, top, stir, done. If you are mixing your first one tonight, these two are quick, popular and hard to get wrong.
Mezcal Tonic
Mezcal, tonic water and a twist of citrus, built right in the glass. See the full Mezcal Tonic recipe.
Oaxaca Soda
Vida Clásico, fresh lime and sparkling water over ice: three ingredients and five minutes. See the full Oaxaca Soda recipe.
Top Mezcal Cocktails for Every Season
Looking for something more specific? We keep seasonal and flavor collections: mezcal summer cocktails for spritzes and highballs, fall mezcal cocktails for stirred and spiced drinks, mezcal winter cocktails for the cold months, fruity mezcal cocktails when you want the fruit forward, and smoky mezcal cocktails when you want the smoke to lead.
