Regardless of age or student status, it’s almost impossible to rid ourselves of the “school’s out” mentality of the summer season. We’re forced to carry on as if it’s just another work day, but the beach won’t stop calling our name. We can embrace the summer season even if we’re not on a three month long hiatus, and what better way to celebrate than with refreshing mezcal cocktails?
While no cocktails are legally tied to any particular season, there are plenty that silently signify a season or holiday is right around the corner. Dark spirits like a rich bourbon are often associated with the colder months while spring introduces cheerful, floral cocktail garnishes. Mezcal has the versatility to be enjoyed year-round, but it’s undoubtedly the spirit of the summer.
The smoky agave based spirit can truly be paired with just about any flavor, and it somehow always seems to work. You’d think with such a powerful nuanced flavor, the recipes would be somewhat limited, but while notoriously smoky, mezcal has a clean taste that acts as a canvas for other aromatics. It has the ability to take on new ingredients and create entirely new flavors. Aside from the infamous margarita, not many classic cocktails feature mezcal or even tequila, but that doesn’t mean it’s time isn’t coming. This season, try one of these ten mezcal cocktails that can take on the summer heat.
1. Spicy Grapefruit Mezcal Margarita
The moment the sun is out, folks are lining up for margaritas within 15 minutes. They’re the quintessential summer drink; frosty, cold, and just tart enough to still be refreshing. Spicy margaritas are one of the most popular drink orders these days, but this grapefruit mezcal margarita just keeps getting more interesting with each ingredient. This version nixes tequila altogether and features mezcal as the (alcoholic) star. Cointreau, ruby red grapefruit juice, and fresh lime team up to make the base of this margarita, but it heats up when everything is shaken with a sliced jalapeño and dried chipotle peppers.
The final touch is the glass’s rim, which is half the fun and half the flavor. With the help of a grapefruit wedge, sal de gusano, or worm salt, is affixed to the rim of the glass. Don’t let the name scare you off — sal de gusano is a nutty, earthy seasoning made from ground agave worms, chile peppers, and sea salt, which pairs perfectly with the agave spirit. The Mexican chipotles bring out all the right flavors in the mezcal and the sal de gusano is its crowning glory.
Recipe: Spicy Grapefruit Mezcal Margarita
2. Hombre Lobo Cocktail
As much as we love a good margarita, they can get tiring. The Hombre Lobo, crafted by Brooklyn-based bartenders Ivy Mix and Shannon Ponche during their time at Leyenda, is the right kind of escape. Sherry isn’t typically considered a mixer, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, and start with this cocktail. The mezcal plays a secondary role in the Hombre Lobo, with sherry as the leading spirit. While more commonly known for being enjoyed in a tiny glass post dinner, the sherry plays an unexpected leading role in this cocktail. You’d never think these two spirits would cross paths, but fortunately they did.
This cocktail specifically calls for Mezcal Amarás Cupreata, a particularly grassy and vegetal variety made from agave that grows exclusively on high-elevation mountain slopes in Guerrero. And, yes, it does make a difference. If there happens to be another already opened bottle of mezcal sitting on your home bar, don’t worry, it won’t taint the cocktail, it will just slightly alter the taste. The Hombre Lobo is complete with fresh lemon juice, chamomile syrup, just a dash of demerara syrup and topped with a splash of soda water.
Mezcal cocktails don’t have to all be the same thing. While it’s easy to bring out the smokiness of mezcal, it can also be pulled in other directions to create a sparkling refresher like this one. Unlike more aggressive mezcal cocktails, this recipe won’t intimidate those who are new to the spirit.
Recipe: Hombre Lobo Cocktail
3. Spiced Ranch Water
While the branded cans of Ranch Water helped spread the love for the cocktail, it’s been around since the 1960s, and West Texan ranchers can claim it as their own. Delightfully simple, traditional ranch water is just tequila, lime juice, and mineral water (Topo Chico if we’re being meticulous). It may not sound like much, but it’s so much more than a basic ol’ tequila soda, and even more so when it’s made with a smoky mezcal rather than tequila. Our ranch water recipe stays true to the classic, but if you swap the Blanco tequila for equal parts mezcal (3 ounces) it will make for a much lighter spritz.
Like any recipe with minimal ingredients, it’s all about the quality. Shaking up mezcal with some random semi-flat lime flavored soda water you found in the back of the pantry does not a mezcal ranch water make. Mineral water has particularly notable bubbles; they’re large and pop in your throat. This is crucial to the cocktail, so not just any soda water will do. And, most importantly, fresh lime is a must. The lack of sweetness makes a frosty ranch water incredibly refreshing, while the mezcal’s complexity prevents it from becoming boring.
Recipe: Spiced Ranch Water
4. Devil’s Music
We love a cocktail that doubles as a green juice, and the Devil’s Music, despite its ominous name, is a feel-good cocktail that’s perfect for summer. There’s something about the warmer temperatures that makes us crave all the nutrients I’ve been neglecting all winter long. Partly because salads are all we want to cook in my windowless kitchen on an 80 degree day, but mostly because running around absorbing a year’s worth of vitamin D tires most people out, and fresh greens keeps us from our second post beach nap.
Big shout out to Belle Shoals, a short-lived Greenpoint bar with a laid-back Southern theme and a killer cocktail list. Devil’s Music was one of their best, made with fresh kale juice, lime, Ancho Reyes chili liqueur, silver tequila, Mezcal, and honey syrup. The vegetal aroma of mezcal seems to work well with everything, and fresh kale is no different. This cocktail recipe was made in Brooklyn but with the heart of a Maryland gal, so it’s finished with an Old Bay rim that ties it all together, both taste wise and presentation wise. This summer, don’t be scared to do some singing and sipping with the devil’s music.
Recipe: Devil’s Music
5. Mezcal Negroni
Negroni is a flawless cocktail, but swapping the gin for mezcal creates a delicate alternative that’s just as complex as the Italian sipper but with a smoky touch. In this bittersweet cocktail, the mezcal is very pronounced, and it’s a delicate balance before the smokiness of the spirit overwhelms the other ingredients — Campari and sweet vermouth.
In our mezcal Negroni recipe, we don’t specify which mezcal as the possibilities are endless and up to the drinker’s taste buds, but we’d go with something made from agave Espadin, like Siete Misterios Doba Yej, as it’s smooth and adaptable. If you’re new to mezcal and adore classic cocktails on the bitter side, this Mescal Negroni is the perfect introduction. Campari’s sharp orange notes intertwine with the citrusy undertones of mezcal and the delicate vermouth ties it all together. There’s nothing inherently wintry about a classic gin Negroni, but it’s warming in a way that’s hard to explain. With mezcal, however, it transforms into a cool summery sip.
Recipe: Mezcal Negroni
6. Frozen Watermelon Ginger Margarita
In the blazing summer months you can’t go wrong with another margarita, but this time frozen. Nothing says summer like a boozy mezcal slushy, even if it melts faster than you can slurp it down. Even half melted, a frozen watermelon ginger margarita is everything the taste buds crave in a summer cocktail. The touch of ginger here makes all the difference, and the secret is ginger beer rather than the freshly grated root. This gives it a nice, almost spicy bite that complements the other subtle ingredient; fresh mint. The powerful herb is added right to the blender along with the frozen watermelon, lime juice, and mezcal. This frozen margarita recipe calls for either mezcal or tequila, but once you’ve gone the smoky mezcal route, the classic might fall flat.
The only downside here is the hefty amount of prep time. To properly freeze the watermelon, you’ll want to get a head start on the recipe about four hours early. Purchasing frozen watermelon is always an option, but when it’s nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit, there are far worse tasks than prepping some chilled watermelon. Using freshly frozen watermelon will help lock down that perfect icy consistency without diluting any of the bold flavors.
Recipe: Frozen Watermelon Ginger Margarita
7. Peach-Tomatillo Michelada Primavera
When you hear pumpkin seeds you might instinctually think of autumn, but think again this summer season. This Michelada Primavera recipe takes the classic Mexican beer cocktail and turns it into a thirst-quenching juicy drink. A traditional michelada is made with tomato sauce, but this summer we’re shaking things up. This unique recipe is another Brooklyn-made concoction, adapted from Shannon Ponche of Leyenda, which sadly closed in March 2025 after a decade of serving Carroll Gardens, and it’s a true labor of love. The cocktail starts with a sangrita verde, a citrusy blend of juices and herbs. It’s traditionally served as a shot back alongside tequila, but in this fruity mezcal-meets-IPA cocktail, it’s the foundation. Our sangrita verde is extra summery, made with peach purée, juiced tomatillos, lime juice, basil leaves, habaneros, and a dash of salt. Equal parts of the sangrita is mixed with the hoppy IPA of your choice, an ounce of mezcal, peach liqueur, and agave.
Last but not least, the smoky, herbaceous cocktail is finished with pumpkin seed salt on the rim, pulling all the vegetal spicy flavors together and back down to earth. This salty, nutty touch makes all the difference. It might sound like an extravagant artisanal garnish, which it is, but it’s not as daunting to prepare as you might expect. Simply crush toasted pumpkin seeds with two parts sea salt by hand or in a spice grinder — and voilà – a rich finish for your cocktail.
Recipe: Peach-Tomatillo Michelada Primavera
8. El Guapo
The El Guapo is another agave-forward spicy cocktail that calls for either blanco tequila or mezcal, but as expected, mezcal makes it 10 times better. The cocktail starts with two of the summer’s favorite ingredients: cucumber and lime. The refreshing flavors are muddled together and then joined by nothing other than a little simple syrup and a dash of hot sauce. Simple, yet perfectly balanced.
Spicy cocktails often showcase crushed jalapeños or a chili infused syrup, but the El Guapo skips all those steps and just calls for straight up hot sauce. Not having to rely on any other ingredients for spice leaves more room for the citrusy muddled cucumber, which is exactly the cooling balance the drink needs. Served in a rocks or lowball glass with plenty of ice, this El Guapo recipe is presented with a thick salted rim and a slice of cucumber. There are a lot of variations of the El Guapo cocktail out there, but all approaches seem to follow the same basic guidelines. Recipes generally incorporate tequila or mezcal, something spicy, and something either fruity, or in this case, refreshing.
Recipe: El Guapo
9. Primer Número
The Primer Número is another cocktail that introduces mezcal and wine, but this time with Lillet Rosé, a wine-based apéritif made from Sémillon grapes. This cocktail brings mezcal into the bitter world of apéritif-style cocktails with a recipe format similar to a Negroni, all while keeping its own identity. More like a distant cousin to the Negroni, the Primer Número is made with Aperol rather than Campari and uses Lillet Rosé in place of vermouth. Although, just like its predecessor, it’s crowned with an orange twist.
Beyond the beautiful, deep crimson color, the elegant cocktail is fragrant and pleasantly sweet. While visually clear, mezcal’s complexity has been compared to scotch, which means it’s the perfect spirit for bitter, complex cocktails and the Primer Número pulls this off perfectly. Inspired by a mezcal Negroni made by Brooklyn-based bartender Charlotte Voisey, this low ABV cocktail is ideal for afternoon sipping or as a pre-dinner apéritif.
Recipe: Primer Número
10. Frozen Watermelon Mezcal Margarita
Last but not least, we have yet another frozen watermelon mezcal margarita, but we keep it classic and leave the ginger beer out this time around. In this recipe, we still approach the frozen watermelon the same way, so you’ll want to give yourself a few extra hours in the kitchen to get a tray of cubed watermelon into the freezer in time for cocktail hour. Using frozen watermelon as pseudo ice in this blended margarita guarantees it won’t water down, even after absorbing all those sun rays.
Frozen mezcal margaritas are clearly all the rage these days — even Applebee’s has one in their menu, the Passion Fruit Mezcal Rita. While ours is passionfruit-free, it makes up for it with plenty of watermelon, both fresh and frozen. This frosty margarita is garnished with a thick salted rim that clings onto the glass with the assistance of fresh lime and a juicy wedge of watermelon. Thanks to the complexity of the ginger beer, the other mezcal watermelon cocktail on this list works well with either tequila or mezcal, but this more straightforward fruity margarita is carried by mezcal.
Recipe: Frozen Watermelon Mezcal Margarita