14 Mezcal Cocktails You Should Be Ordering

Mezcal is the liquor of the moment. Although this agave-based alcoholic beverage has been around for hundreds of years, and actually predates tequila, in the last few years it's suddenly become super trendy. Countless people have become keenly aware of mezcal's deeply smoky, woody, slightly bitter flavor, which in some situations can give drinks more complexity than ordinary tequila would. This, as you might imagine, has led to dozens of mezcal cocktails gaining pride of place on bar menus around the world — and while the proper way to drink mezcal isn't strictly in cocktail form, you can't deny that it works pretty well in them.

However, mezcal cocktails can be a little daunting for some folks. We understand why, too. Because mezcal is so punchy, there's a risk of it overpowering any drink that it's in, and certain people get a little hesitant that their cocktail will be unbalanced. Plus, it's hardly one of the cheapest liquors out there, and no one wants to waste their money, right? That's where we come in. We've put together a list of our favorite mezcal cocktails, which combine multifaceted flavors with real drinkability.

We hardly need to tell you that the margarita is a popular drink. It is routinely placed as one of the most ordered cocktails in the USA, and it's as good at a family barbecue as it is at a house party. Margaritas have an effortless combination of sourness, sweetness, and a slight smokiness that hits the spot, and they're drinkable without being too easy to down. However, a lot of people can find the taste of a margarita a little too samey after a while — and that's where mezcal comes in. 

Mezcal margaritas are made by doing a straight swap with the tequila in the drink, without changing any quantities of the central liquor or any of the other ingredients. The effect of this simple change is pretty wild. Mezcal brings way more smokiness to the drink, which cuts through the sometimes-harsh bitterness of the lime juice. The triple sec, meanwhile, helps to brighten the woody flavor of the mezcal. The most noticeable thing about the mezcal margarita is its pleasant aftertaste: Where an ordinary margarita fades from view immediately after it's sipped, the mezcal marg lives on your tongue for a while. It just makes it way more satisfying.

Next time you make a paloma, there's one liquor swap you need to make. Palomas are typically made with tequila, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. The combination of the three ingredients produces an ultra-light, citrusy drink that's perfect for a hot summer's day, but it can also be somewhat lacking in any layers. Adding in mezcal instead of tequila provides these in spades, delivering a smoky undertone and somewhat taking the sting out of the tequila's standard bitterness.

In mezcal palomas, the mezcal works especially well with the grapefruit juice. This juice can sometimes be overwhelmingly bitter, but the bassy flavor of the mezcal both cuts through this and somehow enlivens the other flavor notes in it, filling it out really nicely. The sweetness in the grapefruit juice also helps to stop the mezcal from dominating things too much, keeping this beverage drinkable. You can easily crank out batches of mezcal palomas as a make-ahead drink for parties without any fear of them losing their intensity.

If you're ordering a mezcal paloma in a bar, it's a good idea to ask your bartender which liquor they're using. Mezcals come in different intensities, and you ideally want to go for a fruitier, lighter one here. Save the deeper mezcals for drinking neat.

If you've never tried a matador, you're missing out. The matador cocktail is kind of a cross between a margarita and a martini, and has the best of both of those drinks in one glass. To make it, bartenders combine tequila, orange Curaçao, dry vermouth, and mezcal. The drink is stirred with ice before being strained into a coupe glass, which should always be thoroughly chilled beforehand, to wake up the drink's flavors. As for those flavors, well, they're pretty punchy. 

The tequila gives the matador a base note of bitterness and a herbal punch, while the orange Curaçao provides a juicy, smooth citrus note. The vermouth, meanwhile, adds a lightness and almost a medicinal flavor that underpins all the other ingredients, and the mezcal wakes things up with a bold smokiness. What's notable about the matador is that the actual amount of mezcal used is tiny: For a single serving, most bartenders will only put in a dash (equal to about 2.5 milliliters), with the other three ingredients being way more abundant. Trust us when we say that's enough. Here, it provides the merest hint of smoke, without taking the cocktail into overpowering territory.

Sometimes, the simplest cocktails are the best, and if you want a punchy cocktail, all you have to do is mix mezcal and amaro, and pour it over ice. Before you do this, we should mention that this combination isn't for the faint-hearted. Mezcal is characterized by its smoky intensity, and amaro is a bittersweet affair that's heavy on herbal notes and a slight spiciness. Both of them sit heavy on the mouth, and they're definitely meant to be sipped instead of glugged. They're also both strongly alcoholic, so just a little bit of this cocktail can get you fairly tipsy.

However, the mezcal amaro has a powerful complexity that'll make you wonder why you didn't try it before. When combined, the sweet citrus notes of the amaro help tame the woodiness of the mezcal, and the mezcal stops the amaro from coming across as too medicinal. Plus, the two of them make an awesome base for loads of other mixers. If you want to make your drink a bit milder and more drinkable, try mixing in some pineapple or cranberry juice. Alternatively, throw in some ginger beer or soda for a touch of effervescence.

Some people love an Old Fashioned, and some people loathe it — but you can't deny the impact the cocktail has had on the world. What do you do, though, if you want all of those classy vibes of an old fashioned, but just don't like whisky that much? We get it, we've been there. Luckily, the Oaxaca old fashioned is here to rescue you.

You make an Oaxaca old fashioned by using both tequila and mezcal (although you can use just one or the other if you're so inclined). Bartenders generally use a full measure of tequila and a half-measure of mezcal, with the lower amount of the latter giving the smokiness of a classic old fashioned without that overpowering peaty flavor. The tequila has a crispness to it that whisky doesn't, making this cocktail a lot more drinkable for some folks, with less chance of any unpleasant post-drink effects the following morning. The drink is topped off with agave nectar and Angostura bitters, which add further complexity and stop it from getting too one-note. Oh, and the flamed orange peel at the end gives a citrus kick that brings everything together.

Honestly, we don't know who comes up with cocktail names, but when they taste as good as this we're willing to give them a pass. The Naked and Shameless is a mezcal-based cocktail you should be ordering for many reasons, one of them being that it requires several ingredients you probably won't have sitting in your fridge or cocktail cabinet. 

This cocktail is made by shaking together mezcal, lime juice, and Aperol. So far so good — but it's then added to with glugs of Genepy and papaya juice. The former is an alpine herbal liqueur with a bitter, herbaceous, almost sage-like flavor, while the latter brings the sweetness. Both of them are tricky to find on standard supermarket shelves, although you could sub them in for another herbal liqueur and mango juice in a pinch.

The result is a cocktail that's a nice combo of sweetness, sourness, smokiness, and a serious hit of herbal and bitter notes. The Aperol and papaya juice give it a luminous, red-orange color that's easy on the eye. The whole thing is finished off with a sprig of mint, tying into the Genepy's herbal tones but also giving it a burst of freshness.

It's hard to go wrong with a Moscow mule. This easily drinkable cocktail, made by combining vodka, ginger beer, and lime, is on an endless amount of cocktail menus around the world, for the sheer fact that it's highly popular and can be made with easily accessible ingredients. However, let's be real here, folks: It's not exactly an exciting beverage. Moscow mules may not be forgettable, but their fairly basic combination of flavors doesn't set the world on fire.

So next time you're thinking of ordering one, make your life a little more fun and go for a Mezcal mule instead. This drink was created by bartender Jim Meehan and quickly traveled further than its birthplace of P.D.T. (or Please Don't Tell), the New York speakeasy-style cocktail bar. Mezcal serves as the base liquor here, giving the drink a tobacco-tinged edge that works incredibly well with the ginger beer. The lime juice cuts through the combo's intensity, while the addition of agave nectar and passion fruit purée adds bursts of sweetness and freshness. To make it extra fancy, do what Meehan does and top it with a cucumber slice dusted in chile powder.

Hands up if you like a negroni? Okay, just what we thought — all of you. Negronis are a total crowd-pleaser, and can be whipped up in just a few minutes with no fresh ingredients required. However, it's certainly true that they're pretty heavy on herbal and bitter notes, and they can also be a touch too sweet for some people. Plus, we all wanna challenge our taste buds every now and again, right?

You know the drill by this point, so it won't surprise you to hear that we're gonna suggest putting mezcal in this one. More specifically, mezcal is substituted for gin here, with the Campari and sweet vermouth still present. This simple swap works wonders on a flavor level. A mezcal negroni has less of the herbaceous tones and none of the overpowering scent of juniper. Instead, it gains a dusky smokiness from the mezcal, and an unmistakable sense of maturity as a drink that's somewhat lacking from the original recipe. The Campari and sweet vermouth still keep it bright and spicy, though, and the color is still as vibrantly red as ever.

If you want a cocktail that looks as good as it tastes, it's time to try the division bell. This is a sweet-sour-smoky event of a drink that's served in a coupe glass and is virtually designed to be put on an Instagram grid. The Division Bell is made with a mezcal base, into which Luxardo Aperitivo is added (you can also use Aperol if you wish, as it'll have a similar flavor and color palette). Then, things are kicked up a notch with the addition of maraschino liqueur and a jigger of fresh lime juice.

This cocktail is inspired by the last word, a cocktail invented just before the start of the Prohibition era and made with Chartreuse and gin. With the division bell, smokiness replaces that cocktail's herbal, almost aniseed flavors. This smokiness is seriously effective and pairs brilliantly with the maraschino liqueur, which gives it a luxurious sweetness that adds to its depth. The Luxardo Aperitivo and lime juice brighten things from either edge, with the aperitivo giving it a pastel orange color.

The curiously named Ready Fire Aim is a cocktail for people who like things on the sweeter side, but not without nuance. This cocktail, which was invented by bartender Steve Schneider, combines mezcal with a host of fruit flavors. A young (or "joven") mezcal is used as the primary liquor, and this is then mixed with a honey-pineapple syrup, made by mixing pineapple, honey, hot water, and pink peppercorns. Pineapple and lime juice are added on top, and a couple of dashes of hot sauce are used to finish it off.

A young mezcal is essentially an unaged variety, which gives it a clean, agave-forward flavor that doesn't have any woodiness muddying things. This makes the cocktail both bright and bitter, and these flavors are then tempered significantly by the host of sweet additions. The pineapple and lime juice give it a citrusy edge, while the honey-pineapple syrup brings the sugar — and the hot sauce creates spice. All in all, you'll be surprised by how drinkable this cocktail is, but don't go overboard on it: That mezcal's pretty strong, after all.

Some cocktails really don't hold back with how punchy they are, and the loaded pistol is a testament to this. This drink has a flavor as bold as its name suggests, combining mezcal, rosso vermouth, grapefruit bitters, and a liqueur called Strega. This Italian liqueur has a herb-forward flavor, but is decidedly lighter than other herbal beverages, with primary notes of mint and juniper and an undertone of fennel.

While Strega is slightly easier on the tongue than other liqueurs, when combined with mezcal and rosso vermouth it adds to a concoction that's pretty boisterous. The mezcal brings the smoke, while the rosso vermouth adds smooth, spicy, bitter notes. Add in the fact that you're using almost 50 milliliters of mezcal to start, and a significant amount of vermouth and Strega (22.5 ml and 15 ml respectively), and this is a cocktail that can knock your socks off. Oh, and it's finished off with four dashes of grapefruit bitters for even more astringency. It's no wonder that it's served in an ice-filled glass: This drink is way better when it begins to dilute slightly, and some of the sting is taken out of its tail.

If you're a cocktail aficionado, you've probably had a Mai Tai or two in your time. However, we're gonna bet it's less likely you've had a Tia Mia. This reserve-named cocktail was created by Leyenda co-owner Ivy Mix, who began to experiment with what happened if rum wasn't the primary note in the drink. She eventually landed on using a combination of mezcal and Jamaican rum, and a modern classic was born.

By using equal amounts of rum and mezcal, the Tia Mia remains faithful to the caramel undertones that make the original drink so special, while also giving it a nice smokiness and a slight bitterness that the Mai Tai lacks. The Curaçao and orgeat in the cocktail keeps it in line with what you'd expect from a Mai Tai, but there's a rejigging of the ratios that helps it to stand out. The whole thing is offset with a burst of lime juice, which also gives it the freshness that makes Mai Tais so appealing on hot days.

Names can be pretty deceptive, folks. The Tobacco Road cocktail doesn't sound like it'd be a pleasant thing to drink: After all, it evokes images of glugging down a cigarette, which we're not exactly wild about. However, it's a hint at its deep smokiness from the mezcal añejo used, and this liquor provides way more than just that. Mezcal añejo is aged for up to three years in oak casks, giving it a deeply woody flavor, but also spicy, vanilla-laden notes. It also retains its inherent bitterness and mezcal tone.

The mezcal in this cocktail is then layered with Cynar, a bitter Italian aperitif that fills in the more astringent notes. Sherry brings a light sweetness and a wine-like flavor, and the cocktail is finished with bitters and a pinch of salt. As you'd probably expect, this cocktail is really for those folks who like their drinks complex and lacking in sweetness: It's dry, it's smoky, and it can be a little overwhelming if you're not used to it. What it isn't, though, is a cigarette in a glass — so rest assured on that one.

If you like your drinks with a hint of herbs, then you're gonna love smoke follows beauty. You might not be able to tell from the name, but this cocktail is actually a take on a spicy margarita — but here, the spice comes from serrano-infused triple sec. The inclusion of serrano peppers, which can be fiercely hot, was the bright idea of inventor Ricky Agustin, who cleverly figured out that the sugar in the triple sec pulls the sheer heat back a little and keeps things tempered.

As for the herbs, the Smoke Follows Beauty gets these tones from muddled cucumber and cilantro, which simultaneously give the drink a cool brightness and a peppery warmth. Joven mezcal provides bitterness and a gentle smokiness, which plays well with the herbs and the serranos. Lime juice is added to freshen things up even further, and a dash of agave syrup provides a pretty merciful sweetness. The key here is not to infuse the triple sec for too long: About 90 minutes is enough for it to gain heat while also not overwhelming the liqueur.