Mezcal
Spirits · usually a base spirit · in 2 cocktails here
What it is
Agave spirit whose hearts are roasted in earth pits before fermenting, which is where the smoke comes from. Espadín is the common everyday variety.
Typically about £32 a bottle in the UK.
What it tastes like
Smoke first — woodsmoke and hot stone from the roasting pits — then the same cooked agave as tequila underneath, with green pepper and citrus.
What it does in a drink
Base spirit, or a small accent alongside tequila where a few millilitres add smoke to a drink built on something else.
Cocktails with mezcal
Unlocks 2 recipes on Drinki.
What it pairs with
The ingredients that turn up alongside mezcal far more often than chance would predict.
Substitutes
- Tequila — loses the smoke, which in most of these drinks is the entire point