There's a restaurant in Vancouver called La Mezcaleria. If you haven't been there, you should drop everything and race on over right now. Just kidding, maybe don't race, but do at some point check it out. The food is amazing, the cocktails are great and the ambiance is even better. One of the favourite cocktails at La Mezcaleria is the Mezcal Margarita - it is dreamy. I have been trying to re-create it at home and think I've come pretty close with the recipe below.
By switching out tequila, and adding in mezcal, this margarita takes on a totally different, smoky flavour profile. The freshness of lime juice and the sweetness of just a touch of agave syrup softens and rounds out the mezcal.
When I make cocktails, I like to use a ratio of 2 oz of liquid spirit in my cocktails, but if you are a mezcal beginner, or are not certain about the smoky flavour, mix your drink with 1.5 oz to start.
In honour of Cinco de Mayo festivities, I decided to spice this Classico Mezcal Margarita up with a chile-lime rim. It's also pretty tasty with a crushed Himalayan pink salt rimmer.
I hope you enjoy, and if you are in Vancouver, make sure you go visit La Mezcaleria!
Krista
Classico Mezcal Margarita
Makes one drink
Ingredients
2 oz mezcal
1/2 oz cointreau
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz agave syrup (made by heating up equal parts agave & water until liquid is blended together, then cooled)
lime quarter
chile-lime salt (to rim glasses)
Jalapeno ring (garnish, optional)
Method
Pour chile-lime salt onto a small plate. Take lime quarter and run around the sides and rim of an old fashioned glass. Dip glass into chile-lime salt, dipping both the top and sides of the glass into the mixture.
In a shaker with ice, add mezcal, cointreau, lime juice and agave syrup. Shake until the outside of the shaker becomes cool and frosted. Strain into rimmed glass.
Garnish with jalapeno ring if using. A lime wheel would also look nice to garnish drink.
Comments