6 Mezcal Cocktails Perfect for Autumn

Mezcal is hitting the mainstream and it makes the perfect cosy cocktail for Fall, so if you want to try a new serve this Autumn, try mezcal.

If you’re not sure what mezcal is, then check out our article, ‘Tequila vs Mezcal: What’s The Difference?’ In short, it covers all agave-based spirits, whereas tequila is only Blue Weber. It tends to be smokier and more savoury than tequila, which is usually smooth and a little sweet, but just like its more famous partner, it’s malleable during production and the bottled liquid varies hugely.

Trying it in a cocktail is always the best introduction, so let’s indulge in these delightful concoctions that explore mezcal and embrace the season.

Mezcal Martinez

Mezcal replaces gin here for a delicious twist on a classic. It’s a rich combination of cherry and vanilla with herbal undertones and wafts of smoke., balancing sweetness and bitterness perfectly.

Ingredients
50ml mezcal
30ml sweet vermouth
15ml Maraschino liqueur
3 dashes of Angostura
Absinthe rinse
Garnish: orange zest

 Method
Stir everything with ice and strain into a chilled glass that’s been rinsed with absinthe, finishing with fresh zest or an orange slice.

Mezcal Cider

This harmonious balance will warm your soul. Inspired by the Margarita, it brings sweet and sour flavours together with the sugary fruits of apple cider and brandy, the sour zip of lemon, the earthy, charred Mezcal and warming aromatics of cinnamon. Delish.

Ingredients
50ml mezcal
20ml apple brandy
70ml apple cider (sweet)
20ml lemon juice
1 dash of Angostura
Garnish: cinnamon, sugar, and apple slice

Method
Use the lemon to wet the rim of the glass and roll it in a cinnamon sugar mix. Next, shake everything else with ice and strain over fresh ice before finishing with an apple slice.

Mezgroni

The Negroni might be the best cocktail in the world for adaptations, and replacing gin with an agave spirit adds amazing flavour. The smoky sweetness locks horns with the herbal bitterness of the Campari, bringing that vermouth and citrus through more noticeably. Simple to make, but complex on the nose and palate.

Ingredients
30ml mezcal
30ml sweet vermouth
30ml Campari
Garnish: orange wheel

Method
Add ingredients to a mixing glass full of ice and stir until thoroughly chilled, before straining into a rocks glass with large ice cubes. Don’t leave out the orange wheel here, it makes all the difference.

Mezcal Mule

Mezcal pairs with the spice of ginger beer deliciously – smoke and spice are paired all the time in food, so why not in mixology?

Ingredients
50ml mezcal
30ml lime juice
120ml ginger beer
Garnish: lime wheels and/or fresh mint

Method
If you’ve got a gorgeous Mule mug then fill it with ice, mezcal and lime juice. Stir until it feels chilled, top up to the top with ginger beer and finish your creation with a lime wheel or sprig of fresh mint. Voila!

Oaxacan Chocolate Hug

Oaxaca is one of the Mexican states most associated with mezcal... but also chocolate, and they just so happen to be a dreamy marriage. On particularly cold Autumn days, the hot chocs start to appear, and the peppery earthy character of mezcal balances against the rich sweetness divinely. Coffee brings some complimentary bitterness for balance, and a gentle dash of citrus rounds it off.

 Ingredients
30ml mezcal
30ml coffee liqueur
120ml hot chocolate (dark works well)
A tablespoon of heavy cream
3 dashes of Angostura

Method
You can make hot choc however you usually do, but we like dark chocolate chips added to hot milk, so make this and set it aside. Pour mezcal, liqueur and bitters into a glass or even better, mug. Next, add your hot choc and finally, pour some heavy cream over the back of a spoon slowly and gently, creating an appetising marbling effect.

Mezcal Jackson

Adapted from a Sean Lisik recipe, the Mezcal Jackson has incredible depth of flavour. You might not expect them to fit that well together, but boy do they – smoky almonds, delicate coconut, and luxurious sweetness. Totally unique.

 Ingredients
30ml mezcal
30ml amaretto (preferably Disaronno)
30ml coconut rum
3 drops bitters (Bob’s Abbotts)

Method
Simply stir everything with ice and strain over a large chunk of ice and it’s a thing of beauty.

Well, now you just need the most important thing. You can flick through some of our go-to mezcal bottles here!

Is 2023 Tequila’s Year?

For anyone that listens to our Bring a Bottle podcast, you’ll know that we’ve been wanting tequila and mezcal to be fully explored for a while. With the growing popularity of cocktails like the Margarita and the Picante as well as the influx of celebrity brands, tequila, it is getting there but there’s still so much more that it has to offer!

Far too often, the spirit itself is being clouded by other ingredients when it should be the star of the show… and 2023 may well be the year. Someone who agrees with us is Cazcabel and although they may be somewhat biased, their Blanco is the UK’s best-selling 100% agave tequila, so they certainly know their onions…or agave we should say.

All research shows that the tequila train is showing no signs of slowing down, and is in fact speeding up. The global market is the fastest growing spirit after pre-mixed cocktails, the Margarita is the most popular cocktail in the world and everything looks set for tequila to transition from party drink to premium sipper… although who’s to say it can’t be both!

British drinkers are warming to the idea of swapping out vodka and gin from their tonics and experimenting with tequila as a short serve option – not just dismissing it as shots or cocktail fodder. If you want to get ahead of the trend then we’ve been shouting about our favourite tequila options from the rooftops which you can explore here.

Cazcabel is pioneering in the space though, and a fantastic option to explore. Located in the Jalisco highlands of Mexico, Cazcabel not only produces liqueurs but super value blanco and reposado expressions, showcasing how the earthy crispness of agave flavour can shine when paired simply with tonic.

Cazcabel Blanco - £25.70
Cazcabel Reposado - £25.99

What is Mezcal?

You may currently only know mezcal as ‘that smoky tequila with the worm in’, but today we are here to bust misconceptions on this intriguing drink and educate the world on what mezcal really is.

Where is mezcal made?

Mezcal is produced in nine different states in Mexico. The vast majority comes from Oaxaca, with the rest coming from the Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán and Puebla states. It is still mostly made by small-scale producers in tiny distilleries and its production is steeped in tradition, often being a family affair, with methods being passed down from generation to generation.

What is mezcal made from?

Unlike tequila which can only be made from the blue agave plant, mezcal can be produced from many different varieties, as well as blends of more than one agave. The most commonly used agave are Espadín, Tobalá, Arroqueño, Tepeztate and Tobaziche.

How is mezcal made?

When an agave plant is fully mature, which can take anything from 8-15 years if not longer, it is harvested, and the piña located in the centre of the agave is cut away from the roots and leaves of the plants and brought back to be roasted.

Traditionally the agave is slowly roasted in an earthen pit oven which is usually lined with rocks that are heated by wood. The piñas are piled into these pits and sometimes reach up to 5 or 6 feet above ground level. This mound is then covered with leaves and earth to keep in the heat and the piña are left to roast. Some, but not many, mezcal producers cook their piñas in ovens above ground heated using gas, wood or steam and a few mezcal producers even cook the piñas in stainless steel ovens with steam, but this is a much more industrial way to produce mezcal.

Once cooked, the piñas are removed from the oven and crushed to release the juice and sugars. The crushing method varies from producer to producer, some use a tahona, a stone wheel drawn by a horse, donkey or tractor, whereas other producers crush the piñas by hand with mallets or put them through a wood-chipper.

How is mezcal fermented?

Once crushed, it is time for fermentation. The container for fermentation varies, but the tanks are usually made from either stone, steel, wood or animal hide. Often, at this point, water is added to the crushed piña and this mix is then left to ferment, however, temperature variations mean different methods need to be used in different areas, for example, in San Luis Potosi and Durango, agave juice is used to kick start fermentation.

How is mezcal distilled?

The liquid from the fermentation process is then moved to the stills. Stills are usually made from either copper, clay or stainless steel and are traditionally wood-fired. Mezcal must be distilled twice to meet regulations although some producers distill it a third time for extra smoothness. When bottled, you may find some mezcals (usually industrially produced) come with a worm, however, this is not traditional. There has been much debate over why the worm has been added to mezcal bottles, though many put it down to a marketing ploy.

Aging mezcal

Some mezcals are aged before being bottled, giving them a different colour and flavour due to the barrels they are aged in. The aging classifications are:

Joven: Unaged or aged for less than 2 months.
Reposado: Aged for between 2-12 months.
Añejo: Aged for 1-3 years.
Extra Añejo: Aged for 3 years or more.

A further and much more common form of aging is Madurado en Vidrio which refers to mezcal that has been stored in glass containers for over 12 months. This method traditionally took place underground but these days is also allowed to occur in warehouses that have good temperature control. The glass aging allows the spirit to mellow slowly without evaporation and also without taking on any extra flavours from oak.

How is mezcal drunk?

In Mexico, mezcal is mostly drunk neat or over ice and is often accompanied by citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes. In the US and Europe, however, mezcal is swiftly making its way into many cocktails. Try a Mezcal Old Fashioned - it’s a smoky delight!

Which Mezcal Should I try?

Pensador Mezcal

Pensador Mezcal is produced by Don Atenogenes and his family in Oaxaca, using a combination of the espadín and madrecuishe agave. It has notes of roasted apricot, black pepper, citrus and an oak-y smoke.

ABV: 48%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £39.20

Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal

Produced exclusively from the espadín agave, this mezcal is a smoky, fresh spirit with the sweetness from the agave coming through and subtle notes of citrus. Try this in a Mezcal Old Fashioned - you won’t regret it!

ABV: 45%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £43.90

Ilegal Reposado

Made in Mexico's Oaxaca region, this mezcal is twice distilled in copper stills before being aged in American oak. On the nose, it has slightly woody, caramel-like aromas and on the palate, you’ll find notes of butterscotch, caramel and soft smoke. Yum!

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £58.90

Ilegal Añejo

Another delicious treat from the Ilegal company, this añejo mezcal is also twice distilled in copper stills. It has hints of honey and soft smoke on the nose and to taste has lots of herbal notes with a floral and slightly salty hint. Drink this one neat or over ice to get the most out of it.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £75.10

Has all this mezcal talk got you thinking about tequila too? If so, take a look at The World’s Best Sipping Tequilas or The Top Celebrity Owned Tequilas.

The World’s Best Sipping Tequilas

Words by Aidy Smith

There’s no debate that one of my favourite spirits on this planet is tequila. While some may have ruined it for themselves by being reckless shot-slamming teenagers, it’s become a liquid that I have come to love and appreciate like no other. But what is the trick to crafting such an incredibly good tequila? Purity. There should be no burn, there should be no overpowering ethanol, instead, you should feel like you are tasting the agave nectar itself which each and every sip. 

These beauties are not meant to sit beside a lime and salt, they are meant to be cherished and enjoyed for exactly what they are and by themselves. For that reason, Ladies and Gentlemen, today I give you the World’s Best Sipping Tequilas!

Casa Dragones Blanco

These guys create another one of the ultimate sipping tequilas and arguably one of the ‘purest’ looking bottles I’ve seen too. I love to use these as water bottles once I’ve finished the nectar inside. Small batch, 100% blue agave which has been around for 7-9 years ripened to perfection in the rich lands of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The water is pretty neat too, beneath the earth’s surface in hundreds of 70-meter natural aquifers straight from the Volcano of Tequila! Perhaps that what gives it such a pure and distinct taste…

ABV: 40%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £88.95 // US $64.99

Patron Burdeos

Created in super limited quantities each year, Burdeos sits atop the perch of Patróns collection of tequilas. Those who read my pieces often will now that reposado is one of my favourite tequilas for making cocktails, but Burdeos is a very different beauty for very different reasons and it all starts with its name. The translation actually means ‘Bordeaux’, given how this tequila is aged for one year in American and French oaks before then being transported to ex-Bordeaux casks given it that robust nose and velvety smooth texture. Once again only 100% Weber Blue agave is used from the heart of Jalisco’s highlands. The result is a divinely rich dark amber tequila with notes of fresh roasted coffee and chocolate. What about the taste? Pure with hints of raisins and vanilla intertwined by a velvety smooth mouthfeel. This one is difficult to share. 

 Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £499.99 // US $499.99

Clase Azul Reposado

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful bottles on the planet which also happens to contain one of the most magnificent tequilas too. You may have heard about this tequila because of it’s fun little bell which goes ‘Ding Ding’, but there’s a lot more to its design than just that. Each bottle is unique and 100% handcrafted by over 100 artists and artisans who dedicate their time to create just one bottle at a time. Produced at one of the highest points in Los Altos (the highlands) in the town have Jesus Maria (Jalisco), legend has it the altitude has a unique effect on the flavour profile of the tequila. Whether that’s true or not, I’m completely in love with what’s in the bottle.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £199.99 // US $169.99

Padré Azul

I think I need to sit down for a second. Woah, this is one of the purest tequilas I’ve ever tasted, and it still blows my mind as to how they are able to make it this way. It’s literally like drinking fresh from the agave plant. Undeniably smooth with so much rich plant-nectar flavour, it’s difficult to just keep to one sipping glass of this stuff. On the outside, it can look a little bit gimmicky with its cow-hide bottle cover and skull closure, but don’t let that put you off. The liquid inside is something of true magic and for that reason this tequila is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Originally intended to be a product imported into Austria, word has since spread and Padré Azul is finding itself into more and more markets within Europe. Still fairly undiscovered and underrated I’d say. 

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £90.95 // US $109.99

 Casamigos Anejo

If it’s got George Clooney’s face on it, let’s not beat around the agave bush, you want that in your mouth. No but seriously, this is an outstanding tequila. It may be widely available but their master distiller (who’s never actually been named) is working wonders. I have as much confidence in this as I do in Clooney’s acting career. Strong game. They use 100% Blue Weber agave with an age of 7-9 years, slow cooking the piñas for 72 hours in their traditional brick ovens. The 80-hour fermentation process coupled alongside a signature yeast blend give this tequila its refined flavour. The Anejo then sits in American white oak casks for 14 months to elevate its game even further. Pure agave, soft caramel, gentle vanilla and a sweet spiced oak fill your mouth with joy. If only it came with a side of George…

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £67.45 // US $59.99

Enjoyed this? Then make sure you check out The 6 Tequilas you Need in Your Life Right Now and The Best Tequila for Margaritas!