Mezcal Sour: Sweet, Sour and Smoky
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The Mezcal Sour is a tasty sour cocktail that’s crafted with an unconventional liquor: mezcal. It’s a balanced cocktail that’s simultaneously sweet, sour and smoky. And, as a bonus, it’s easy to craft at home with just four key ingredients.
The Mezcal Sour is special. After experiencing love at first sip while at a bar, it was just a matter of time before we crafted the smooth yet potent cocktail at home. The question was how. While using mezcal is an obvious must, there are no rules for the Mezcal Sour’s sweet and sour components.
Based on our in-the-mouth research, it turns out that our favorite Mezcal Sour recipe includes agave syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice. Foamy egg white and a dehydrated orange wheel finish the drink.
What Is the Mezcal Sour Cocktail?
The Mezcal Sour is a non-classic sour cocktail that’s crafted using the classic sour cocktail ratio of 2x1x1 (two parts liquor, one part sweet and one part sour). However, unlike other sour cocktails, this one has a smokiness that’s provided by the mezcal.
Discover more sour cocktails.
Ingredients
Our Mezcal Sour recipe requires the following ingredients:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
You may need to buy mezcal and agave syrup for this recipe; however, both are versatile items that you can use again.
How to Craft a Mezcal Sour
Crafting a Mezcal Sour is easy to do once you assemble the necessary ingredients and a few basic bar tools. The first step is to measure the mezcal, agave syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice. We use a Japanese jigger so that we get accurate measurements and minimize potential spillage.
Immediately pour the measured liquids into a cocktail shaker and optionally add an egg white to the mix.
Pro Tip
Replace the egg white with aquafaba (chickpea liquid) if you’re squeamish about ingesting raw egg white or if you follow a vegan diet.
Vigorously shake the ingredients without ice for 20 seconds. This process is called a ‘dry shake’ and allows the egg white to emulsify.
Next, add ice and shake the cocktail for an additional 20 seconds so that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and chilled.
Pro Tip
Skip the dry shake step if you omit the egg white.
Strain the shaken cocktail into a coupe glass.
Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.
Pro Tip
Dehydrate the orange wheel in advance of crafting the cocktail
We dehydrated our orange wheel by placing it on a cooling rack in a convection oven for 12 hours at 60°C, which is equivalent to 140°F. You can alternatively use a dehydrator or order a dehydrated orange wheel online if your oven doesn’t go that low.
You may be wondering if dehydrating an orange wheel is worth the extra effort. It is for us, but we won’t judge you if you garnish your Mezcal Sour with a fresh orange wheel instead. It will look and taste great either way.
Variations
There are no rules when it comes to crafting a Mezcal Sour. Here are some variations to consider when you craft the sweet, sour and smoky cocktail at home:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Mezcal Sour Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces mezcal
- 1 ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 ounce agave syrup
- 1 egg white (optional)
- 1 dehydrated orange wheel (garnish)
- ice cubes (for shaking)
Instructions
- Combine mezcal, lime juice, agave syrup and egg white in a shaker.
- Shake vigorously until the egg white emulsifies (approximately 20 seconds). Skip this step if you omit the egg white.
- Add several ice cubes and shake until the liquids are mixed and chilled (approximately 20 seconds).
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.
Notes
- You can use a lowball glass instead of a coupe glass.
- You can omit the egg white if you’re a vegan or if you’re uncomfortable with ingesting raw eggs. You can alternatively replace the egg white with aquafaba.
- You can replace the dehydrated orange wheel with a fresh orange wheel or twist.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The Mezcal Sour cocktail is a sour cocktail that’s crafted with mezcal, agave syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice in a 2x1x1 ratio.
Mezcal, Agave Syrup, Lime Juice (freshly squeezed), Egg White (optional), Ice Cubes (for shaking) and a Dehydrated Orange Wheel (garnish)
The Mezcal Sour cocktail is shaken, not stirred.
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