The Best Summer Mezcal Cocktail

The sun is shining, the music is playing, and in your hand you should have a delicious, unique, and refreshing Mezcal Cocktail!

This post is going to show you an original recipe of mine that you can take and use as your own! Highlighting DELICIOUS Reposado Mezcal, Galliano, Fresh Ginger, Fresh Lemon, Agave Nectar, Burlesque Bitters,  and Peychaud’s Bitters, you definitely need to add this Mezcal Cocktail to your wheelhouse!

I will show you step by step instructions on what you will need and how to construct this smokey treat! Truly the BEST Summer Mezcal Cocktail.

Let’s get started. I call this:

“Smokey Joe’s Beach Cafe”

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

We will of course need MEZCAL for our Mezcal Cocktail. Mezcal get’s its smokey taste from the process in which it is made. The heart of the Agave plant AKA the Piña is cooked in a pit in the ground which is covered by lava rocks! These lava rocks hold in the smoke from wood and charcoal which really traps that smokey/fire taste giving Mezcal it’s completely UNIQUE flavor!

The Mezcal we will be using for this Mezcal Cocktail is Ilegal Reposado. This Mezcal is aged for 4 months in American Oak barrels. It is a great introduction Mezcal for anyone who may not be used to that smokey taste. It has notes of caramel, clove, and vanilla on the palate with a hint of orange. You can find this Mezcal at any Total Wine and More, Bevmo, or most Liquor Stores near you!

Next, we will be adding in Galliano. Technically named, Liquore Galliano L’Autentico, it is a sweet and flavorful Italian Liqueur created all the way back in 1896! I love this Liqueur and the first time I tried it I really enjoyed the notes of anise, cinnamon, vanilla, and lavender!  There are 30 TOTAL herbs in Galliano, let’s just say those Italians did NOT mess around when it came to their flavor profiles!

I got my bottle of Galliano at Total Wine and More. It is also available at Bevmo and most Liqour Stores! Feel free to get the smaller bottle as we won’t be using a large amount in this cocktail.

We will be using a very small but important dash of Burlesque Bitters. This is a bitters made by the company Bittermens. Full of intense flavors like hibiscus, long pepper, and açaí berry this bitters really packs a punch! It really hugs nicely into our Mezcal Cocktail!!! I got mine from a local bartending shop, but they are also available on Amazon! I will attach a link for everyone RIGHT HERE.

Lastly we will be using Peychaud’s Bitters. Some of you may know this distinct bitter for its famous role in cocktails like the Sazerac. I love Peychaud’s for its sweet and fruity taste full of notes of anise, cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, caramel, cloves and more! It is so robust and it’s a taste you’ll LOVE in this cocktail. It pairs very well with all of the flavors we have going on here in our Mezcal Cocktail! I picked up my bottle at Total Wine and More. They also carry this at Bevmo and some select liquor stores! You can also get it on Amazon  RIGHT HERE!!!

Citrus and Fresh Ingredients:

In this Mezcal Cocktail we are going to be using a bit of FRESH Lemon Juice!! I will say this in every one of my blog posts like a broken record but Fresh Fruit Juices are the way to go! Once you taste the difference you will never look back. It truly brings an elevation to your cocktails that is addicting!

Above the tool I am using to juice my lemon is a hand-held stainless steel citrus juicer. I swear by it, it really has been the biggest game changer for me at my at home bar! Just one easy squeeze, and you have fresh juice that pours right out of a spout into your jigger!! No mess, clean pour, ability to fit multiple cuts of fruit in at once, it’s the most amazing tool I’ve ever owned! If you want one just like mine click  RIGHT HERE to check it out on Amazon!!! Of course you may use whatever citrus juicer you like but I can’t recommend this one enough!

We will also be utilizing a small piece of Ginger. You can get this at any local grocery store! I got my little piece at Whole Foods. We are going to be using about a centimeters worth! Ginger is usually sold by the pound so break off only the small amount you will need to purchase! We will be muddling this into our Mezcal Cocktail!

A bar spoon of 100% Blue Agave Nectar really ties together our mezcal cocktail and adds some sweetness to this drink. I got my bottle at Whole Foods but I also know they have very affordable agave at Trader Joe’s! They also sell packs of 2 on Amazon if that is what you prefer, I’ll leave a link for you RIGHT HERE! 

Bar Supplies:

First piece of supplies we will need to build our Mezcal Cocktail is a Boston Shaker!! Boston Shakers are the best way to shake and dilute your cocktail and a must have for your  home bar! They are EASY to use and long lasting! If you want one just like mine pictured above check them out RIGHT HERE on Amazon! For this Recipe we will be WHIP SHAKING with crushed ice. I will have a section below dedicated to whip shaking and what that means!

Next up you will need a Bar Jigger. Jiggers help you measure out your ingredients in your cocktail! Balance is so important when you are creating a cocktail. Jiggers allow you to get those precise measurements to make sure your end product is absolute perfection!! Get one like mine above RIGHT HERE on Amazon! Also if you are a beginner and would like a jigger that is a little easier to use  I will link one RIGHT HERE that I actually used a lot when I was first starting! Sometimes it is a little easier to build your skills over time and that beginner jigger really assisted me in the early days.

This Mezcal Cocktail requires Crushed Ice. In the photo above I am using my Lewis Bag and Mallet to create my crushed ice. You put full ice cubes into the bag, crush with the mallet, and scoop out crushed ice using a stainless steel ice scoop. The bag is made of canvas which keeps the ice cool and crisp. I was lucky enough to get a set here in San Diego at a local bartending shop, but you can actually get your own FULL set that comes with all the supplies RIGHT HERE on Amazon. It comes with a scoop and everything! The bag is reusable and holds the crushed ice in a presentable way for your at home bar.

If you would prefer to use an ice mold for your crushed ice I will link one on Amazon for you RIGHT HERE ! 

For our small piece of ginger will need a Bar Muddler. We will use this muddler to muddle that small piece of Ginger before we shake our Mezcal Cocktail! Muddling means to break down an ingredient with pressure from this tool. Different recipes call for different techniques, but for this recipe you will be pushing down and twisting with this tool. I got my muddler at a local Bartending store but you can get one identical to the one I used working at a bar RIGHT HERE on Amazon!

We are going to Dirty Pour this cocktail. This basically means we are dumping the contents of the tins after shaking straight into the glassware without using a Hawthorne Strainer. What we WILL still be using is a Fine Cocktail Strainer to strain out the pieces of ginger that we will have muddled into our cocktail. If you want one just like mine pictured above check out this link RIGHT HERE on Amazon!

One measurement in this Mezcal Cocktail is a Bar spoon! You can pick these guys up at Total Wine and More, a Local Bartending Shop, or even on Amazon! They definitely are a must have for your home bar set up! I will link a great option on Amazon for you RIGHT HERE!

Next, there is an optional Cocktail Pick for garnish! There are numerous types of cocktail picks depending on what style you are going for. I went with a pineapple pick for this cocktail because I love the summer time vibe. If you want pineapple ones just like mine check them out on amazon RIGHT HERE! 

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal little Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below!

Beginners Kit : HERE

Advanced Kit : HERE.

Garnish:

For this Mezcal Cocktail I used a dehydrated lemon wheel and a piece of candied ginger! I got the candied ginger from Whole Foods, but I know almost every super store will have packs of candied ginger. Just ask a store clerk and they should be able to direct you to them!

I got the dehydrated lemon wheels at a local bartending shop but they have the exact same thing on Amazon! They are great quality and I will link them for you RIGHT HERE! Dehydrated fruits are a fun garnish that takes your cocktails to the next level! They have a great aroma and add a level of class.

How to Whip Shake

We will be Whip Shaking this cocktail! Whether you have crushed your own ice in your Lewis Bag, or you have a pebble ice mold in your freezer I will teach you exactly how to execute this technique.

What you want to do is add the ingredients of your cocktail into your small tin. In the large tin you want to add about a bar scoop worth of crushed ice. Combine your tins and form a seal.

Vigorously shake your cocktail until you have heard all of the ice fully dilute and disappear ! When it is ready it should pretty much just sound like liquid shaking in your tin! Break your seal and you are ready to pour!

Most of the time you will just Dirty Pour into your glassware which means not using any sort of strainer at all. Dumping the contents right into the glass. For this cocktail we will still use our Fine Cocktail Strainer to capture the Ginger we have muddled.

And thats it! I personally love Whip Shaking I find it to be a fun process!!

Let’s Build!