Spicy Mezcal Margarita
- nathan
- cocktails
- Serves: 1 Serving
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cooking: 3 mins
- Total Time: 6 min
As our blog posts and other photos have shown thus far, we really like Bourbon and Whiskey. Its by far my favorite poison to imbibe, but I really appreciate something different from time to time. Well, a Classic Gin Martini just was not going to cut it the other night and I really wanted something that would go well with our Quinoa Fajita Bowl so I decided to whip up something special.
This particular recipe is a take on a margarita, but made with Mezcal, the smokey companion to Tequila instead. Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca in Mexico and some of the best Mezcals are still made to this day by individual families who cook the liquor underground until fermentation begins. Its a REALLY cool story on how it is made so I encourage you to read more about it. For now, just know that this recipe is a really good one to serve in large batches or for parties and has this great spicy & smokey quality that makes you keep coming back for another sip. I made a variation with grapefruit juice as well, which was good, but nothing compared to the bitter lemon and lime featured here. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Start by getting out all of the things you will need: juice press if the juice is fresh, your ingredients, and small pairing knife.
Use the pairing knife or a potato peeler to skin one of the limes and one of the lemons. Next, thinly slice half the serrano pepper. If you want to make this drink really hot, muddle the peppers with the lemon and lime peels to get all the oils out, otherwise just set them aside in a mixing glass.
Cut all the limes and lemons in half and squeeze over a strainer or use a juicer like you see here. We got this one at Williams Sonoma for like $14, and its crazy high quality.
Again, if you like it spicier muddle the peels together with the serrano peppers BEFORE adding in the juice you just squeezed. Now add in 1-2tbsp of agave depending on how sweet you like your drinks. We encourage just one tbsp since the bitterness of this drink is bright and refreshing compared to the smokey heat produced by the peppers and mezcal. Add in a few drops of Orange Bitters as well.
If you have a way to shake this cocktail, shake shake shake away! Our mixing tin disappeared so for now we are bound to stirring everything (at least until payday) in our pint glass seen below. Carefully, to avoid any seeds or pulp, strain into a mason jar or tom collins glass filled with ice or a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime and enjoy!
