This ‘Crushable Yet Complex’ Mezcal Cocktail Is the Marg’s Trendy Cousin

By WineBottleMag
July 9, 2025
Cocktail Complex Cousin Crushable Margs Mezcal Trendy
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Once you’ve mastered the margarita and passed through your Paloma phase, it’s time to get creative with another classic agave spirit-based cocktail that’s perfect for warm-weather drinking: the mezcalita.

With just four core ingredients—mezcal, lime juice, orange liqueur and agave—a major aspect of the mezcalita’s appeal is its simplicity, which allows for thoughtful riffs and twists depending on seasonal fruits and local ingredients.

“The mezcalita is unique in that it’s super refreshing while still having that hint of smokiness from the mezcal,” says Salvador Guzman, head bartender at Zapote Bar at Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya. “The combination of citrus, salt and the depth of the mezcal makes for something crushable yet complex.”

The Perfect Summer Riff

At the Claremont Resort & Club in Berkeley, California, bar manager Randy Wilson makes an herbaceous mezcalita that adds cucumber juice to the equation. It’s “a simple and refreshing cocktail that reminds me of sunset happy hours on a Puerto Vallarta beach,” he says.

Meanwhile, at Gemma in New York City’s iconic Bowery Hotel, the mezcalita goes by the name Cocomero, which means “watermelon” in Italian. Here, the recipe features puréed watermelon and swaps in Luxardo maraschino liqueur for orange liqueur.

“Watermelon purée brings this delicate, watery sweetness that’s super refreshing but not overpowering,” says Gemma’s food and beverage director Samir Jahdadic. “The maraschino adds a subtle tartness with almond and cherry undertones, which rounds everything out and adds an unexpected depth.”

Jahdadic finds that many mezcal cocktails tend to lean too heavily on citrus and sugar— “or try to overemphasize the smoky notes, and that can throw the whole drink off,” he says. “With this mezcalita, we’ve created something that complements mezcal’s character instead of competing with it.”

Jahadic developed the refreshing, light Cocomero specifically for the warmer months, and it’s been a huge hit on the menu with as temperatures rise.

For a boozier take on the mezcalita, the team at Lolita, also in New York City, adds both Aperol and Curaçao; the result is a seriously orange-forward cocktail that packs a welcome punch for fans of juicy citrus.

Turning Up the Heat

The mezcalita can also handle the trendy spicy margarita treatment. Ivan Flores, head mixologist at the newly opened Rosewood Mandarina in Puerto Vallarta, uses serrano peppers to add heat to the cocktail, as well as fresh cilantro leaves to tame the extra sweetness from this incarnation’s pineapple juice.

While a Tajín rim and lime wedge garnish are tried-and-true ways to finish off the drink, there’s also plenty of room to experiment. At Zapote Bar, Guzman rims the border of the glass with Sal de Gusano, a dry worm salt made with larvae harvested from the heart of agave plants. Rosewood Mandarina opts for a simpler route with a salt rim, but garnishes with grilled pineapple to complement the juice in the drink. At Gemma, you’ll find a fluffy sprig of mint leaves poking out from the top of your cocktail.

No matter how creative bartenders get with their mezcalitas, one thing remains constant: the drink is balanced, refreshing and a natural next step (or plane ticket) for the agave-curious.

“Let’s just say drinking a mezcalita invites you to travel to Mexico,” Guzman says.