Mezcal Cocktails for Winter Nights

Whether you want to curl up by the fireplace with spirits or consume a cozy cocktail to warm the cockles of your heart, using mezcal is an absolute must for those cold winter nights! The smoky agave flavor of mezcal lends itself to holidays, celebrations, or a quiet night at home.

Mixing Mezcal

If you’ve never tried mezcal, understand there’s a robust smoky undertaste that sets it apart from its tequila cousin. Feast your fancy on this fine foray of mezcal cocktails designed for the colder months.

After All

A cocktail guaranteed to make any chocolate connoisseur who loves coffee jump for sheer joy!

• 1 oz. Mezcal
• 1 oz. chocolate vodka
• 1 oz. Grand Brulot (coffee-infused cognac)
• 1 oz. orange marmalade
• couple drops Scrappy’s Firewater

Shake and serve in a martini glass.

Mezcal Paloma

This drink is perfect for late autumn, where you’re not ready to let go of summer but want to escape from the falling temperatures.

• 2 oz. Mezcal
• 1 oz. pomegranate juice
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
• splash of lime juice
• salt rim, optional
• splash of agave
• splash of club soda
• garnish with orange slices or cranberries

Combine all ingredients over ice in a Collins glass.

Pinot-Mezcal Mule

The perfect blend of wine, ginger beer, and mezcal is a great people pleaser for the holidays. It’s also great for those nights at home when you want to do something fun and different.

• 2 oz. Mezcal
• Pinot Noir
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• Four fresh cranberries
• Ginger Beer
• garnish with fresh rosemary

Freeze the Pinot Noir in ice cube trays overnight. Shake and then muddle the mezcal, lime juice, and cranberries until well blended. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously, then strain in a rocks glass over a Pinot Noir ice cube. Top with fresh rosemary (you can light the sprig if you’re feeling fancy).

The Mexican Firing Squad

This 1937 cocktail comes from the classic La Cucaracha bar in Mexico City. This is a tasty cocktail any time of year, but it offers warmth and comfort during the winter months. This is actually like a margarita, but with grenadine and mezcal instead of tequila.

• 2 oz. Mezcal
• ¾ oz. lime juice
• ¾ oz. grenadine
• dash of bitters
• garnish with a lime wedge

Shake well and strain into a small glass over ice.

Everything Good

Prepare this one ahead of your holiday party or other winter-weather gathering. A little bit of orange and sweetness makes this cocktail delicious for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years’.

• 1½ cups Mezcal
• ¼ cup orange liqueur
• 2½ tsp. chocolate bitters
• 2 tbsp. + 1½ tsp. honey
• ½ cup + 3 Tbsp. water
• garnish with orange twists

Take a quart-sized container and mix 2 tbsp. boiling water with 2 tbsp. honey, stir to dissolve and allow it to cool. Blend chocolate bitters, orange liqueur, mezcal and ½ cup + one tbsp. water with the dissolved honey water. Seal well and freeze for a minimum of two hours. It will keep in the freezer for up to two weeks.

When you’re ready to serve the cocktail, turn the jar around to mix. Use a rocks glass and pour over ice. Squeeze an orange twist in the drink and rub it around the rim of the glass. Garnish with the peel.

Mezcal Magic

If you don’t find anything on our list of five fabulous mezcal cocktails, you can try concocting your own. The trick to blending the perfect drink using mezcal is to ensure you compliment the smoky flavor inherent in this particular liquor. Anything with slight sweetness, citrus and bitters will be a sure winner.