This Mezcal Cocktail is made with ginger beer, fresh lime, mezcal, and simple syrup. The drink is a delicious and light summer refreshment with bright citrusy notes and a sweet, smooth finish.
Mezcal is a popular liquor that presents smoky, herbaceous, and earthy notes making it a great alcohol to use in a variety of mixed drinks. Mezcal is usually enjoy neat, but has been making its way onto the cocktail scene as a tequila substitute.
We found this recipe in our cocktail book. Mittie (the author) calls this recipe a Mezcal Buck. It’s very similar to a Mezcal Mule in our opinion.
More Mexican Drinks
Here are a few more Mexican liquor cocktails for you to enjoy. Please let us know if you trade out the tequila in any of these drinks for Mezcal. We would love to hear your thoughts!
What’s the difference between Mezcal and Tequila?
So Mezcal…Tequila. What’s the difference? For the casual drinker it’s all about the flavor. The short answer is tequila is a type of Mezcal. Tequila originated in the town of tequila and can be made only with the blue agave plant. Mezcal can be made from a variety of plants.
Liquor.com has written an in depth article on the various differences between tequila and Mezcal. If you have the time it will fill you in on the differences between these Mexican spirits. It’s a very detailed history.
There are also some differences in the production process between the liquors. Read the label on your bottle to determine more about how your particular Mezcal brand is made.
What mixes well with Mezcal?
Mezcal has a beautiful, earthy and slightly smoky flavor that pairs well with sweet and citrusy drinks. Though it is traditionally enjoyed straight, it is making its way onto the American scene in mixed drinks.
Some popular options include ginger beer, grapefruit soda, apple cider and orange. The flavor notes of this liquor bring balance to otherwise sweet drinks and deepen the experience.
How is Mezcal best served?
The great thing about Mezcal is that it is a very tasty liquor that can be mixed and served in a variety of ways. It’s all about what you enjoy. Here are some popular ways the liquor is enjoyed.
- As a base for frozen orange or peach margaritas
- Paired with ginger beers as in this recipe
- Enjoyed with pineapple and grapefruit cocktails
- Used in apple cider cocktails with star anise and cinnamon
- Make a prickly pear Mezcal Mule
- Enjoy a frozen watermelon basil Mezcal margarita
Ingredients for The Mezcal Cocktail
- Mezcal-use your favorite brand
- Fresh lime
- Ginger beer
- Simple syrup
Visual Guide to This Recipe
Here’s a quick walkthrough for you. For a complete recipe demonstration please watch our video. The printable recipe card is below this visual process tour.
This Mexican drink is a light refresher. You will enjoy it in all kinds of situations. It’s easy to make for a poolside drink, weekender or just pretty much anytime.
Helpful Amazon Products
- Paksh Novelty Italian Highball Glasses [Set of 6] Clear Heavy Base Tall Bar Glass – Drinking Glasses for Water, Juice, Beer, Wine, Whiskey, and Cocktails | 13 Ounce Cups
- Mixology Bartender Kit with Stand | Bar Set Cocktail Shaker Set for Drink Mixing – Bar Tools: Martini Shaker, Jigger, Strainer, Bar Mixer Spoon, Tongs, Bottle Opener | Best Bartender Kit for Beginners
Your Printable Recipe Card
Mezcal Cocktail
This fizzy and refreshing Mezcal cocktail makes a delicious and light summer refreshment.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Mezcal
- 1 tsp. Simple syrup
- 1 oz. fresh lime
- 3 oz. ginger Beer
- ice as needed for shaker and serving glass
Instructions
- Slice 1/2 of your fresh lime into very thin slices. Set aside.
- Pour ice halfway up your cocktail shaker
- Add the Mezcal
- Squeeze the unsliced half of the lime into the shaker.
- Add in the simple syrup.
- Seal and Shake the cocktail shaker at least 30 seconds until very cold.
- Fill your glass half full of ice.
- Strain the shaken mixture over the ice.
- Fill the glass with the ginger beer.
- Garnish with lime slices and a sprig of mint as desired.
Notes
Garnish Ideas:
- We like the simple lime slices for a bit of color and the additional lime it adds to the drink.
- A sprig of mint also help brighten the flavor if you bruise it.
- Salting the rim is unnecessary but if you do want salt-keep it a light salted rim. (Maybe only half the rim or salt your wrist and do the lick and drink technique).
- The drink flavors are well balanced with the brand of Mezcal we chose. Your brand choices matter with Mezcal. Feel free to adjust the drink ingredients to accommodate your preferred brand.
Nutrition Information
Yield
1Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 196Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 10mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 1gSugar 16gProtein 0g
Follow Us:
We enjoy meeting you on our social networks. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram . Tag us with your pictures of our recipes and comment on how it went for you. We would love to see what you do with them.
We often like, comment and share your posts of our recipes on our daily Instagram stories.
Ask questions and rate the recipe in the comments section below. Please share what you did with this recipe. We are always looking for more and better ways to make homemade food. Other cooks love your ideas!
Recent Posts:
