A Mezcalita is a refreshing margarita-style cocktail made with smokey mezcal and orange juice. This bright, fruity drink is served with a spicy rim and is definitely an easy and flavorful sip!
Jump to:
What is a Mezcalita
A Mezcalita is a Mezcal margarita cocktail that has an orange juice base and is served with a spicy salt rim. If you are interested in starting to explore Mezcal cocktails, this drink is a great place to start as the fruit juices sweeten and balance the smokey Mezcal perfectly.
Mezcalitas are a fun, fresh, and fruity twist on a traditional margarita recipe. It is sweet, smokey, and spicy all at once which makes for a very flavorful and easy sip. I love serving up these bright and beautiful cocktails during the summertime!
MEZCALITA VS MARGARITA
A Margarita is a popular and much-loved classic cocktail. The Mezcalita is not just a traditional Margarita made with mezcal in place of tequila. It also uses less base spirit and plenty more fresh citrus juice to round out the deep and complex flavor of mezcal.
Just like tequila, mezcal is made in Mexico from agave plants, but there are several key differences between these two liquors.
Mezcal is made using many different varieties of agave plants and instead of the agave hearts being steamed in the cooking process, they are roasted in a pit using lava rocks.
Looking for more Mezcal cocktail recipes? Check out our MEZCAL SOUR recipe and MEZCAL NEGRONI recipe!
Ingredients and Notes
A classic Margarita is made with Blanco tequila, lime, agave, and orange liqueur. This creates a more mellow lime flavor, whereas the Mezcalita has a bolder orange flavor from fresh orange juice.
The ingredients you will need to make this shot recipe are listed below or you can find a full, detailed recipe at the end of this post:
- Mezcal. You can use any Mezcal that you like best for this cocktail. I recommend a more mild mezcal such as lllegal Joven, or Burrito Fiestero to create a well-balanced drink. If you can’t find mezcal, you can substitute it with tequila.
- Orange juice. Freshly squeezed is best but you could also use a store-bought version.
- Lime juice. Balances and brightens this tasty drink. I recommend freshly squeezed but storebought is also fine.
- Orange liqueur. You will need a splash of your favorite orange liqueur for this recipe. We like to use Triple Sec!
- Orange bitters (optional). This adds more complexity and orange flavor to the cocktail, but it will also be delicious without any so that is why it is an optional addition.
Leftover orange juice? Why not enjoy a simple but tasty WHISKEY & ORANGE JUICE!
How to serve Mezcalitas
GARNISH
The classic garnish for a Mezcalita is a lime wedge or a lime wheel. This gives the drink a delicious boost in flavor and a pretty pop of color. If you don’t have any fresh limes, you could also add an orange slice or wedge.
RIM
A Mezcalita should also always be served with a spicy rim. You can use a slat and chili powder mixture, or use Tajin powder. Tajin is a dry blend of Mexican spices and it makes for a flavorful, spicy rim to your serving glass.
I prefer to use Tajín because the extra lime flavor packs a delicious sour punch, but chili salt is an easy homemade alternative. And if you want to skip the spice completely, then just go with plain coarse salt!
ICE
This drink is best served over ice. It is essential that a Mezcalita is kept chilled so once the cocktail is shaken with ice it should then be served in a cocktail glass that is filled with ice cubes too.
How to make a Mezcalita
This margarita recipe is easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of time. You can also make a big batch of the recipe to serve a crowd or to enjoy all night long!
To make a Mezcalita, follow the step-by-step instructions below or find a full detailed recipe at the end of this page.
STEP ONE
Dip the rim of your serving glass in lime juice or run a lime wedge around its edge.
STEP TWO
Pour some Tajin powder onto a small plate. Then dip your prepared glass into the Tajin powder making sure the rim of the glass is well coated.
STEP THREE
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the cocktail ingredients and shake together for 30 seconds.
STEP FOUR
Strain the cocktail mixture into your prepared glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy immediately.
Making a large batch in advance
If you are having a large party, you can prepare a large batch of Mezcalitas in advance and rim the glasses ahead of time!
- Cocktail: Mix together a large batch of the cocktail mixture in a pitcher and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Simply scale up the amounts of each ingredient in the recipe proportionally by the number of drinks you will be making.
- Glasses: Rim the glasses as directed in the recipe, and then store them in a large airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can make an extra spicy version of this cocktail by muddling in a few slices of fresh Jalapeño pepper in the cocktail shaker before mixing the cocktail together.
- The orange cocktail bitters and spicy rim add some extra flavor to the cocktail but are both optional and the drink can be enjoyed without either.
- You can make different fruit variations of this drink by replacing the orange juice in the recipe with freshly pureed watermelon or pineapple juice.
- If you prefer a sweeter drink, you can add a dash of agave syrup or simple syrup to the recipe.
Recipe
Mezcalita
A Mezcalita is a refreshing margarita-style cocktail made with smokey mezcal and orange juice. This bright, fruity drink is served with a spicy rim and is definitely an easy and flavorful sip!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Equipment
1 cocktail shaker
1 serving cocktail glass
Instructions
Dip the rim of your serving glass in lime juice or run a lime wedge around its edge.
Pour some Tajin powder onto a small plate. Then dip your prepared glass into the Tajin powder making sure the rim of the glass is well coated.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the cocktail ingredients and shake together for 30 seconds.
Strain the cocktail mixture into your prepared glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Making a large batch in advance
If you are having a large party, you can prepare a large batch of Mezcalitas in advance and rim the glasses ahead of time!
- Cocktail: Mix together a large batch of the cocktail mixture in a pitcher and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Simply scale up the amounts of each ingredient in the recipe proportionally by the number of drinks you will be making.
- Glasses: Rim the glasses as directed in the recipe, and then store them in a large airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.2mg
I hope you love this Mezcalita recipe as much as I do. And for more delicious recipes, follow me on Facebook and Instagram!
#Mezcalita #Baking #Ginger
