How to Drink Mezcal

Co-authored by Bryan Sullivan

Last Updated: February 17, 2023 References

Mezcal is a spirit distilled from the agave plant and mainly produced in Oaxaca. It is known for its distinct smoky flavor that’s derived during the production method used in the distilling process. It is commonly confused for tequila, but in reality, tequila is technically a type of mezcal. You can enjoy mezcal’s earthy and smoky characteristics by drinking it straight, making a mezcal margarita, or creating a Last of the Oaxacans cocktail.

Things You Should Know

Use a jicarita if you have one to help open up the mezcal’s smoky aroma (use an old-fashioned glass if you don’t have a jicarita).
You can drink mezcal straight, but garnish it with an orange wheel sprinkled with sal de gusano to enhance the texture, flavor, and aroma of the spirit.
Replace the tequila in a margarita with mezcal for a smokier, fuller-bodied version of the drink.
The Last of the Oaxacans is a signature mezcal cocktail; you’ll need mezcal, lime juice, luxardo maraschino, and green chartreuse to mix it up.

Ingredients

Drinking Mezcal Straight

2 fl oz (59 mL) mezcal
Half wheel of an orange
Sprinkle of sal de gusano (worm salt)

Makes 1 serving

Making a Mezcal Margarita

2 fl oz (59 mL) mezcal
1 fl oz (30 mL) fresh lime juice
¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) agave syrup
Ice
Lime wheel to garnish

Makes 1 serving

Creating a Last of the Oaxacans Cocktail

³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) mezcal
³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) luxardo maraschino
³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) green chartreuse
Thin slice of a serrano pepper to garnish
Ice

Makes 1 serving

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Drinking Mezcal Straight

1
Pour 2 fl oz (59 mL) of mezcal into a jicarita. The shape of this clay cup allows you to take in and explore mezcal’s aromas before taking a sip. Mezcal is a spirit with a spectrum of flavors including smoky, fruity, and vegetal, that are meant to be enjoyed slowly.^{[1]
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- If you are new to mezcal, it is recommended to start with a less expensive bottle to get familiar with the taste.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have a jicarita, you can drink mezcal from an old-fashioned glass. However, due to the design of the jicarita, you may not get the same experience from the aromas.
2
Garnish with an orange wheel sprinkled with sal de gusano. Sal de gusano is a mixture of salt and ground chile peppers. These spices are made to enhance the earthy undertones of mezcal.^{[3]
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- Authentic sal de gusano also contains ground, roasted worms from the agave plant.
- You can substitute sal de gusano with salt and ground dried chile peppers, but remember that the taste may vary slightly from the sal de gusano.
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3
Enjoy it neat and at room temperature. The best way to drink mezcal straight is without ice. Serving mezcal straight at room temperature is the best way to experience its colorful flavors and aromas.^{[4]
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4
Take a sip and swish it around in your mouth. This will open your palate and allow your taste buds to adjust to the initial burning sensation. To experience more flavor, bite into the orange garnish right after taking a sip of mezcal. Mezcal is meant to be enjoyed slowly and should not be taken as a shot.^{[5]
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5
Serve mezcal with traditional Oaxacan tlayuda. Since mezcal is a clear spirit, it can be paired with a variety of dishes. However, to have an authentic experience with mezcal, you should pair it with Mexican dishes. Try to stick to dishes that contain meat, cheese, and chile to bring out mezcal’s extensive flavors.
- Other dishes to try with mezcal are pisole or quinoa salad.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Mezcal Margarita

1
Combine 2 fl oz (59 mL) of mezcal in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. The stainless steel cocktail shaker should be filled ½ to ¾ of the way full with ice. This will help cool all of the ingredients before you serve your drink. There is no need to shake the mezcal and ice together yet.^{[7]
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- Mezcal has a distinct smoky flavor that pairs well with the citrus flavors in a margarita.
2
Add the lime juice and agave syrup to the shaker. Put 1 fl oz (30 mL) of lime juice and ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 mL) of agave syrup into the shaker with the mezcal. The lime juice and agave are used to enhance the smokiness of the mezcal and add a little sweetness to an otherwise dry cocktail.^{[8]
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- You can make agave syrup by dissolving light agave in an equal amount of hot or boiling water.
- If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, use a mason jar or a bottle with a screw-on lid.
3
Shake the mixture for 10-30 seconds. Place the cap of the shaker on tightly and shake the mixture vigorously. You want the ingredients to mix thoroughly and allow the ice to completely cool the liquids.^{[9]
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- Your cocktail is ready once a light frost has formed on the outside of the shaker.
4
Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass. The cocktail shaker has a built-in strainer in the lid. Hold the edges of the top down, and flip the shaker upside down to strain the cocktail into a glass. Any cocktail glass will work for this dry margarita.^{[10]
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- You can serve this cocktail straight up or on the rocks, whichever your prefer.
- This is a great drink to try if you are new to the world of mezcal. It allows you to experience its earthy and subtle tones in a familiar environment.
5
Garnish with a lime wheel and serve with tacos and guacamole. The flavors of your mezcal margarita go great with beef, fish, or carne asada tacos. Try adding some guacamole to enhance the spice and lime flavorings in the mezcal. You should try seasonings that have black pepper, chile, or lime in it to compliment your cocktail.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating a Last of the Oaxacans Cocktail

1
Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer. Place the glass in the freezer and wait for it to get to 32 °F (0 °C). To speed the process up slightly, you can dampen a paper towel with water and wrap it around the glass before placing it in the freezer.^{[12]
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- Chilling your glass will keep your cocktail cold longer and remove the possibility of your drink becoming watered down by melted ice.
2
Pour the mezcal and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Combine your ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of mezcal and ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of lime juice into a stainless steel shaker. After you add the mezcal and lime juice, fill the shaker 2/3 of the way full with ice.^{[13]
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- Use either a liquid measuring cup or a 2 fl oz (59 mL) shot glass to measure your liquids.
- If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can use a mason jar or a bottle that has a screw-on lid to mix your ingredients.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice will taste better but you can use pre-squeezed lime juice if you need to.
- You can opt to squeeze your own lime juice by juicing 1-2 limes.
3
Add in the luxardo maraschino and green chartreuse. The ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of maraschino and ³⁄₄ fl oz (22 mL) of chartreuse, should both be added to the shaker that contains the mezcal, lime juice, and ice. If you want your drink on the spicier side, you can add in a slice of a serrano pepper to increase the spiciness of the drink.^{[14]
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- Luxardo maraschino and green chartreuse can be found in your local liquor store.
- If you like your drinks to be on the spicier side, add in another pepper slice or a dash of spicy bitters.
4
Shake the contents for about 20 seconds. Make sure you shake vigorously to mix the liquids and their flavors thoroughly. You should continue shaking until the outside of the shaker begins to frost.^{[15]
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- The frost on the outside of the shaker should form in about 20 seconds of shaking.
5
Strain the contents into your chilled cocktail glass. For this particular drink, you should double strain your drink. Hold a fine-mesh strainer over your cocktail glass while you pour the beverage from the shaker. Double straining simply adds another filter to keep any bits of ingredients from making it into your drink.^{[16]
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- Double straining will remove any pulp or other pieces of ingredients that you want to keep out of your drink.^{[17]
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- If you don’t have a fine-mesh strainer, place piece of cheesecloth over the top of your glass while you slowly pour your cocktail.
6
Garnish with a pepper slice and serve with an Oaxacan mole sauce. The nice thing about using a chilled glass is that you don’t have to rush to finish your drink. As with most mezcal beverages, the Last of the Oaxacans is meant to be drunk slowly to savor every flavor. Due to the spiciness of this drink, it pairs nicely with beef, chicken, or fish smothered in a spicy red mole sauce.^{[18]
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- If heat isn’t your thing, leave off the pepper garnish.

Expert Q&A

Question

Are tequila and mezcal the same thing?

Bryan Sullivan
Bartender
Bryan Sullivan is a Bartender and the Owner of Bryan Sullivan Bartending in Seattle, Washington. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in craft cocktails and has a thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and champagne. He currently holds a MAST Class 12 Mixologist Permit and has provided bar service for 100s of events. Additionally, his business has a 5-star rating and is a listed vendor on The Knot.

Bryan Sullivan

Bartender

Expert Answer

Mezcal and tequila are, in many ways, one in the same. Or at least very similar. All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Tequila must use all blue agave, and the agave is usually steamed as part of the refining process. Mezcal, on the other hand, can be made from any agave variety and is usually smoked or cooked in fire pits, which gives its distinct smoky flavor.
Question

What do you do with mezcal?

Bryan Sullivan
Bartender
Bryan Sullivan is a Bartender and the Owner of Bryan Sullivan Bartending in Seattle, Washington. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in craft cocktails and has a thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and champagne. He currently holds a MAST Class 12 Mixologist Permit and has provided bar service for 100s of events. Additionally, his business has a 5-star rating and is a listed vendor on The Knot.

Bryan Sullivan

Bartender

Expert Answer

You can use it in place of tequila in any cocktail you can think of. It’s great with citrus to create margaritas and palomas, but it can be mixed with ginger beer or just lime and soda water. What’s special about mezcal is the smokiness it imparts to any cocktail, adding a depth of flavor. That means it lends itself even better to liquor-forward craft cocktails.

Things You’ll Need

Drinking Mezcal Straight

Jicarita (clay cup)

Making a Mezcal Margarita

Cocktail shaker
Measuring cup or shot glass
Cocktail glass

Creating a Last of the Oaxacans Cocktail

Cocktail shaker
Measuring cup or shot glass
Fine-mesh strainer
Cocktail glass

Warnings

Never drink and drive and always arrange transportation ahead of time if you will be drinking.

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Mezcal has a higher alcohol content, so alternate drinking mezcal with a 12 fl oz (350 mL) glass of water.

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Do not consume mezcal if you are under the legal drinking age.

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