Spicy Mezcal Margarita

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Make this simple spicy mezcal margarita recipe for your next taco party and impress your friends with your bartending skills!

It’s hard to make a margarita better – this classic cocktail is one of America’s favorites for a reason. But if you’re a margarita lover looking to shake things up a bit (no pun intended), you’re going to want to give this spicy mezcal margarita a try!

Even with the rise in popularity of mezcal, it still doesn’t get the love that it rightfully deserves. You can enjoy this versatile spirit in so many ways, from a fun twist on cocktails in place of tequila or whiskey to sipping it straight like whiskey or wine. Each mezcal is unique in its flavor and profile, which makes it a great spirit for exploring all the different kinds.

So if you’re interested in getting to know mezcal but don’t know where to start, the familiar makeup of a classic margarita is a great place. Sub in mezcal and get acquainted with this unique spirit!

What This Recipe Entails

Much like a traditional margarita, this spicy mezcal cocktail has a bright pop of lime, some sweetness from the agave nectar, and a subtle orange flavor from the triple sec. The only difference in the drink itself is the mezcal, which adds its signature smoky flavor.

• Prep time: 5 minutes

Oh, and we decided to spice it up a bit with a jalapeno garnish and tajin rim to give some fire to complement the smoke!

Spicy Mezcal Margarita Ingredients

The only difference between our spicy mezcal margarita recipe and a regular margarita recipe is switching out the tequila for mezcal and adding a couple of garnishes. Here is everything you’ll need to make some spicy, smoky, and delicious mezcal margaritas:

• Mezcal – Long story short choose an Espadin mezcal for this recipe like Del Maguey Vida Puebla. Long story long, check out the following section Choosing The Right Mezcal.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is always better, but that can be a lot of work. Regular bottled lime juice works well here.
• Triple sec – We stick to the value of a brand like De Kuyper. 
• Agave nectar – Our go-to brand is Agave in the Raw.  
• Garnishes – Jalapeno slices, lime wheels, and Tajin. 

Choosing The Right Mezcal

Espadin is the best kind of mezcal for margaritas, since it’s the most commonly made and generally the most affordable. Since you’re mixing this mezcal into a cocktail, you don’t need as high a quality as if you were sipping it straight. However, mezcal is the predominant flavor in this drink, so make sure you use a mezcal you enjoy the taste of! 

Mezcal is a great option to replace tequila in a unique margarita because it typically offers a smoky, rich flavor. This helps enhance or alter the flavor of the drink. That being said, mezcal comes in a wide variety of flavors whereas tequila tends to be more uniform. If you would like to learn more about mezcal vs tequila, check out this post from Liquor.com.

How To Make A Spicy Mezcal Margarita

Again, there isn’t much difference between a regular margarita and a spicy mezcal margarita, so the process for making them is relatively the same! The only difference here is prepping and garnishing the glass.

Here’s how to make a spicy mezcal margarita in just a few steps:

1. Prepare the glass – Prep a margarita or rocks glass by giving it a tajin rim (keep reading to learn how to do this!) and filling it with a few large ice cubes.
2. Shake – Fill a shaker with ice cubes, mezcal, lime juice, triple sec, and agave nectar. Shake until the shaker is cold and frosty, about 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Strain and serve – Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with sliced jalapenos and a lime wheel. Serve and enjoy!

Not only are margaritas easy to make, they are fun too! Even for the most novice home bartender, using a cocktail shaker makes you feel like a professional. Plus, when you add in a unique garnish and a rimmed glass, your cocktails will not just taste great, but look the part too. 

How To Rim A Cocktail

To make the best spicy mezcal margarita, you’ll need to know how to properly rim a cocktail glass.

While getting a good rim on a cocktail may seem hard, it really isn’t. Here’s the secret to high quality, consistent results: use a fresh lime wedge! Don’t just use the lime juice, especially the bottled kind. You want to rub the cut side of a fresh lime along the edge of the glass, which creates a sticky surface that will hold onto the salt, tajin, or whatever else you choose to rim the glass with.

Here are the steps for rimming a cocktail glass with tajin for this spicy mezcal margarita:

1. First, prepare a small plate or flat dish with a pile of tajin. The pile of tajin should have a diameter larger than the rim of the glass, so that the entire glass fits on the pile when placed upside down.
2. Next, cut a slit down the middle of a lime wedge, perpendicular to the length of the wedge.
3. Then, position the lime wedge on the rim of the glass (as if you are garnishing the glass, using the slit as a guide) and run it around the edge a couple of times. Make sure the rim of the glass is fully coated in lime juice.
4. Now, set the lime wedge aside and place the rim of the glass into the tajin. You can roll the glass slightly to make sure you have an even and generous coating.
5. Finally, set the glass aside while you prepare your drink.

Fresh lime is a must for rimming a cocktail glass with tajin. Bottled lime juice, and even fresh lime juice, are not sticky enough to hold onto the tajin. By rubbing a slice of lime, or even a half of a lime that you previously juiced, along the rim of the glass, you are giving it the proper stickiness it needs to hold onto the tajin garnish.

Why You’ll Love This Spicy Mezcal Cocktail

If you, like many, many people, love margaritas, then you are sure to love this spicy mezcal version of a margarita. The smokiness of the mezcal combines with the spicy tajin and jalapeno to add sophistication to the classic margarita.

This spicy mezcal cocktail pairs well with any Mexican dinner, or you can enjoy it as a nightcap to continue the theme past dinner and into the night! We love making tacos as a weekend date night activity and mixing up a few of these spicy margaritas to go with them.

Give this spicy mezcal margarita a try for your next Taco Tuesday – or if you’ve been wanting to give mezcal a try and want an approachable cocktail that features this unique spirit. Let us know what you think by commenting, rating, and sharing below!

Cheers!