With Memorial Day around the corner, we wanted to share a fun cocktail recipe! These pineapple mezcal margaritas are a smoky take on a classic margarita that are sure to be a hit at your next get together! Mezcal is a Mexican liquor that has an incredible smoky flavor. It is similar to tequila, in that both tequila and mezcal are made from the agave plant. The production process, however, is different for Mezcal. The agave plant is usually cooked in an underground pit over a fire, which results in its distinct smoky flavor. You can find Mezcal at most liquor stores, we bought this one in the Duty Free shop on our last trip to Mexico.
Mezcal can be tricky to use in cocktails. If it’s the sole liquor in a drink, it can overwhelm you with its smokiness and be slightly off putting. We recommend to use it in addition to another liquor when making drinks. In these pineapple mezcal margaritas, we used equal parts traditional tequila to mezcal, along with some orange liqueur. For us, this added just the right amount of smokiness.
We are big fans of pineapple in our house and love making cocktails with it. We often grill pineapple during the summer and enjoy the charred taste on the pineapple, so we got the idea to use them in a smoky mezcal margarita! The flavors pair wonderfully together. We even used some smoked sea salt we found at Central Market to rim the glasses to really take the drink over the top!
Think we might be making these all summer long! Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, maybe have a few of these margaritas! If you aren’t a fan of pineapple, you may want to try our recipe for simple Mezcal Margaritas!
Pineapple Mezcal Margaritas
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Diced Pineapple
- 2 Ounces Tequila
- 2 Ounces Mezcal
- 1 Ounce Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur such as Triple Sec
- 2 Teaspoons Light Agave
- 2 Limes Juiced
- Course sea salt For the rim
- Ice
Instructions
- Muddle the diced pineapple with the juice of 2 limes and the agave in a cocktail shaker.
- Add in the mezcal, tequila, and grand marnier. Stir well to combine.
- Add enough ice to fill the shaker and shake well for about 30 seconds.
- Wet the rim of your glass with lime juice or water. Dip rim in coarse sea salt if desired.
- Strain margaritas into your rimmed glasses with fresh ice.