Classic Mezcalita

Mexico City had been on my travel bucket list for a while because every cocktail person I trust kept telling me the same thing: you need to go. When I finally made the pilgrimage, I spent my days exploring neighborhoods, popping into beautiful spaces, and saying yes to mezcalitas.

So here is my definitive guide to the Mezcalita, with different variations for you to try at home. The key takeaway: Everyone needs to be making more Mezcalitas this year.

Jump to…

• Watch Video
• How to Make It
• Mezcalita vs. Margarita
• Shop The Recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe
• …With a Twist

Watch Me Mix a Guava Mezcalita

Let’s Make a Mezcalita

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, mezcal, key lime juice, orange liqueur, and orange juice.
2. Shake and double strain into a chilled glass rimmed with citrus salt.

Mezcalita vs. Margarita

A classic margarita is made with tequila + lime juice + orange liqueur + (optional) sweetener.

A classic mezcalita is made with mezcal + key lime juice + orange liqueur + orange juice.

The switch to key limes and addition of orange juice works in a mezcalita because the smokiness of mezcal needs more acidity and sweetness to balance it out. Mezcal really does have a strong flavor and aroma.

Mezcalita Ingredients

Mezcal

Let’s think of mezcal as tequila’s rebellious cousin. Where tequila must be made from blue agave, mezcal can be made from any variety of agave, even wild varieties! It is made from the agave hearts and roasted in pits, giving it that characteristic smoky flavor and aroma. It is then fermented and distilled in copper or clay pots. Unlike tequila, mezcal is not a spirit I would ever take a shot of, but it’s perfect for mixing into cocktails.

There are four main types of Mezcal:

1. Joven (Blanco) is clear and un-aged.
2. Reposado is “rested” in wood for up to one year.
3. Añejo is aged, meaning it is rested in wood for for longer than reposado, usually 1-3 years.
4. Mezcal de Pechuga is a unique kind of flavored mezcal that is distilled with fruits and/or spices.

Orange Juice

If it’s not fresh-squeezed, I don’t want it! A classic mezcalita can go from really delicious to really awful if you don’t use fresh citrus juice. So do yourself a favor and buy the freshest orange you can find. Cara Cara and navel oranges both work. Hell, maybe even try it with blood oranges and see what happens! Mezcalitas are made with orange juice because it softens the smokiness of the mezcal, making it juicier and more approachable.

Orange Liqueur

Orange Liqueur, like Cointreau triple sec, is a quintessential margarita ingredient, and since we’re making the very similar mezcalita, we need some orange liqueur here, too. It keeps that classic margarita backbone and marries perfectly with the orange juice.

Key Lime Juice

Margaritas just use your everyday lime, or Persian lime. But the mezcalita uses key limes, which are smaller and give the cocktail a punchier tartness with a more limey aroma. If you can’t find key limes, use regular limes and maybe add a little more juice than the recipe calls for so it’s tart and balanced.

Mezcalitas…

With a Twist