Coconut Mezcal Margarita

You only need a handful of ingredients to prepare this delicious coconut margarita. Instead of tequila, I used mezcal, a smoky Mexican spirit that goes great with coconut milk. Make this refreshing drink for your Cinco de Mayo party, a summer barbecue, or a fancy cocktail party.

How is Mezcal Different From Tequila?

I like to think of mezcal and tequila as cousins. Both spirits are made from the agave plant, but that’s where their similarities end.

Mezcal, unlike tequila, can be made from many different varieties of agave. This is what gives mezcal its different names; for instance, you can have Espadín mezcal, Tobalá mezcal, or Tobaziche mezcal.

More importantly, mezcal is distilled in a completely different way from tequila. Tequila is usually cooked in copper pots before being double or event tripled distilled. Mezcal, on the other hand, is cooked in pits filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots. This process is what gives mezcal its distinct smoky flavor.

What is the Best Mezcal to Use in Cocktails?

Mezcal is meant to be sipped rather than mixed into cocktails, so every variety of mezcal has unique flavor characteristics that come alive as you sip it.

Since some of that nuance will be lost when you mix it with other ingredients, I recommend using a more neutral mezcal, like Vida from El Maguey, to make mixed cocktails like this coconut margarita.

If you bought a bottle of mezcal and are trying to figure out how to use it, check out this Rhuberry Mezcal Paloma.

The Other Flavors in this Coconut Margarita

In addition to the coconut milk and the mezcal, this margarita also features some orgeat.

Orgeat is a type of syrup made from almonds and cognac, and it adds some richness and sweetness to the cocktail. It also highlights the smokiness of the mezcal really well.

I really love orgeat and mezcal together, so I also used both of these ingredients in this mezcal orgeat cocktail.

Print Recipe Comment

Coconut Mezcal Margarita

This delicious variation on a classic margarita uses mezcal, a smoky Mexican spirit, instead of tequila. An unusual syrup called orgeat adds some sweetness and complexity to this easy cocktail.

4.43 from 49 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican, Mexican American, Special Occassion

Keyword: beverages, cinco de mayo cocktails, cinco de mayo party, coconut cocktails, margarita cocktail, mezcal cocktails, orgeat, summer cocktails

Servings: 1

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Daniela Miranda

Ingredients

• 2 oz mezcal (I used Vida by Del Maguey)
• 1/2 oz canned coconut milk
• 1 oz orgeat
• 1/2 oz lime juice freshly squeezed
• 1 serrano pepper (optional) sliced

Instructions

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  
• Pour all of the ingredients except for the slices of serrano pepper into a cocktail shaker.
  
• Shake until chilled (1-2 minutes).
  
• Double strain into a short glass filled with ice.
  
• Garnish with a slice of serrano pepper and serve immediately.
  

Notes

Please keep in mind that the nutritional values included here are just an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 37mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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