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Cocktails

Our Favorite Mezcal Cocktails

March 06, 2023

Story: Punch Staff

photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

Our Favorite Mezcal Cocktails

March 06, 2023

Story: Punch Staff

photo: Lizzie Munro

Fifteen easy recipes, from a mezcal Margarita to a smoky Boulevardier riff.

Mezcal consumption has grown rapidly over the past decade, and the thirst for the agave spirit shows no signs of slowing. In 2021, U.S. spending on mezcal grew 53 percent in value, while the spirit made its way into just about every classic cocktail template, from Negronis to Martinis; it also continued its reign in modern classics like the Oaxaca Old-Fashioned. This year, for the first time, bartenders surveyed by Punch listed mezcal picks as essentials in their wells, a testament to the growing popularity, and stateside accessibility, of the spirit. 

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best ways to mix with mezcal. Some recipes, like Employees Only’s Mezcal Margarita, simply swap the spirit in for tequila, while others, like the Fumata Bianca, build something entirely new, calling on the ingredient to lend its signature profile between layers of flavor. Take a crash course on the spirit, then find 15 of our favorite easy mezcal cocktail recipes below.

Mezcal Margarita
Recipes

Employees Only’s Mezcal Margarita

The New York bar’s signature, smoky serve.

Oaxaca Old-Fashioned
Recipes

Oaxaca Old-Fashioned

The modern classic that helped spark a boom in mezcal cocktails.

Mezcal Negroni Drink Recipe
Recipes

Negroni Absinthe

A nuanced riff on the mezcal Negroni with a splash of crème de cacao.

Sarah Morrissey spicy margarita
Recipes

I’m on Fire

The spicy Margarita, with an added dose of pineapple.

Stone Raft Spicy Tequila Drink Recipe
Recipes

Stone Raft

A spicy, savory take on the Oaxaca Old-Fashioned.

Coconut Highball
Recipes

Snake Eyes

A mezcal take on the Caribbean staple of Scotch and coconut water.

Recipes

I Am Keith Hernandez

A take on the dirty Martini with mezcal at the base.

Recipes

Mezcal Mule

A cucumber-inflected take on the mule.

watermelon sgroppino
Recipes

Watermelon Sgroppino

A smoky-sweet update to the Italian palate cleanser.

Recipes

50/50 Margarita

A split base of mezcal and manzanilla sherry offers a lower-ABV take on the classic.

Recipes

Thou Shall Not Be Named

An agave spin on the Boulevardier.

Leftys Fizz
Recipes

Lefty’s Fizz

Served down over seltzer, the fluffed up fizz from San Francisco's ABV is equal parts sour, smoky and smooth.

Recipes

White Negroni Piña Colada

The fairer Negroni goes tropical.

Recipes

Fumata Bianca

A soft, yet edgy mixture of sweet, herbal and smoky.

What Were Into Mezcaletti
Recipes

Mezcaletti

Mezcal and Amaro Meletti—need we say more?

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