Mezcal Sour: Sweet, Smoky & Delicious

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.

Mezcal SourPhoto by2foodtrippers

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.

Ingredients

Our Mezcal Sour recipe requires the following 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)

Here's a quick description of the four key ingredients:

• Mezcal is a Mexican liquor that's produced from agave plants that are slowly cooked in underground fire pits before the resulting juice is fermented and distilled. This unique process gives mezcal its distinctly smoky flavor. Mezcal's ABV ranges from 40 to 55%.
• Agave syrup is a non-alcholic sweetener that's produced from agave plants.
• Since limes are prevalent in Mexico, freshly squeezed lime juice is the ideal sour component for this recipe.
• An optional egg white creates a foamy topper that tickles the tongue.

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 (chick pea 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 dehydrater 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 smocky cocktail at home:

• Replace the agave syrup with simple syrup or honey syrup.
• Replace the freshly squeezed lime juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Replace the mezcal with another liquor to craft a different sour cocktail. Options include the Gin Sour, Pisco Sour and Whiskey Sour.

This recipe was originally published on 2foodtrippers. Consider subscribing to 2foodtrippers if you enjoyed it.