With the arrival of cooler weather, comes the demand for darker spirits. Push aside the whiskey for a moment and consider coaxing your guests toward a mezcal cocktail. This smoky agave spirit is perfect to take your cocktail menus into the fall and winter. Plus, mezcal is a great spirit to introduce to your tequila-loving guests who may be looking to try something different.
We've collected a number of mezcal recipes to add to your cocktail menus!
First Word
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Rosa Luna mezcal
.75 oz Green Chartreuse
.5 oz Yuzuco super yuzu juice
.5 oz pecan orgeat (house made)
Directions:
- Combine ingredients into shaker.
- Add ice.
- Shake and fine strain into Nick & Nora glass.
- Garnish with a Luxardo cherry on pick.
The Breakfast Daisy
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Earl Grey–infused Mezcal Unión Uno
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Honey Syrup (3:1 honey:water)
3 oz Club Soda
Mint bouquet
Directions:
For the Earl Grey-infused Mezcal:
- Infuse 1 bottle of Mezcal Unión Uno with three Earl Grey tea bags for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Strain and store.
For the cocktail:
- Add all ingredients into a glass with ice.
- Top with club soda and gently stir.
- Garnish with mint.
Ancestral Margarita
2oz Lost Explorer Mezcal infused Orange peel
0.75oz Honey syrup 1:1
0.75oz Lime juice (fresh)
5 drops Saline 20%
3 drops Vanilla Extract
3 dashes Scrappy's Chocolate bitters
1 dash Scrappy's Fire water bitters
1 slice of Mandarin Orange & Chocolate slice (for garnish)
Directions:
For the infused mezcal:
- Add 700ml of mezcal and 15g of dehydrated orange peels into a container, cover, and place in the cooler for 72 hours.
- After 72 hours strain and use for the cocktail.
For the Mandarin orange & chocolate:
- Peel mandarin orange and disassemble it's slices.
- Dip one half of each slice into melted chocolate, let it drip and place on a sheet.
- Place in a cooler for chocolate to solidify.
- Keep in the cooler.
For the cocktail:
- Add all the ingredients into the shaker.
- Add lots of ice and give it a good shake.
- Fine strain in a rock glass on a big ice cube.
- Garnish with Mandarin orange & chocolate slice.
Invierno Ilegal
Ingredients:
2 oz. cinnamon-infused Ilegal Reposado
¾ oz. guava syrup
¾ oz. fresh lime
Cinnamon-infused Reposado: Add 2 sticks of Mexican cinnamon to one 750ml bottle of Ilegal Mezcal Reposado and let sit for 6 hours.
Directions:
For the guava syrup:
- Add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of guava juice.
- Bring to a boil and boil until sugar is dissolved.
- Let cool.
For the cocktail:
- Add all ingredients to a shaker.
- Shake vigorously until chilled and strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with grated cinnamon.
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