Mezcal in Maui | The Best Recipe for People Who Love Tropical and Smoky Cocktails

When I first saw the recipe for this Mezcal in Maui cocktail on Instagram, I got EXCITED. Truly, my heart skipped a little. A tropical AND smoky drink? With mezcal??! YES PLZ. But then my heart broke a little when I looked at the recipe and realized I needed lime juice. If you saw my last post, you read about my citrus plight. There was no way I was going to attempt to make the Mezcal in Maui without lime juice. I knew I would need to do this cocktail recipe justice.

And boy, am I glad I waited. This recipe is incredible.

The Mezcal in Maui was created by Casey of City Gal Cocktails. You can find more amazing recipes on her Instagram page. (Seriously, go give her a follow right now and then come back!) As a cocktail blogger, a loooot of my followers on Instagram are fellow cocktail aficionados. The #drinkstagram community is really supportive and inspiring but there are a handful of other cocktail creators that really stand out. Casey’s one of them.

I ended up tweaking Casey’s original recipe just a tad by lowering the amount of pineapple juice and added some Demerara syrup. Demerara syrup is used in some tiki cocktails so it seemed a fitting choice for this tropical spin on a mezcal margarita. Adding the sweet syrup seems to enhance the smokiness and smoothing out the edges of the pineapple juice. If you don’t have access to Demerara sugar or turbinado sugar to make the Demerara syrup, regular simple syrup will work just fine.

If you’re unfamiliar with what mezcal is, I’ll give you as brief of an explanation as possible. Mezcal is a liquor distilled from agave. Sound familiar? Tequila is distilled from agave, too, only for it to be considered “tequila” is must be distilled from blue agave.

Mezcal is also cooked and distilled much differently than tequila, which is why there is such a big taste distinction between the two liquors. Traditionally, tequila is steamed and then distilled in copper pots, which is why it tastes crisp and bright. Mezcal, on the other hand, is usually cooked in lava-rock-lined pits with charcoal and wood before being distilled in clay pots. All those earthy elements lend a smoky flavor that is unlike any other liquor out there.

Smoky cocktails are kind of a big trend right now. Actually smoky anything is popular. I’ve seen recipes for smoked ice cream, smoked queso (WHAAAT!), smoked salt, and the list goes on. There are a lot of ways to achieve a smoke flavor in cocktails, including smoke guns (hi Santa), lapsang souchong tea, and using grilled or charred garnishes.

Another way to achieve a smoky cocktail is to use mezcal. If you want just a touch of smoky essence, use a splash mezcal in one of your favorite tequila or vodka recipes. A Moscow Mule with 1/4 oz of mezcal would be a great way to incorporate a hint of smoke without it being overpowering.

If you’re interested in trying out another smoky cocktail with mezcal, check out the Cero Miedo. I find myself craving its smoky/spicy/sweet flavor regularly on these hot Texas evenings. It’s honestly SO good & is probably the cocktail recipe I’m the proudest of. No horn-tooting happening over here.

Have you ever made a cocktail with mezcal? If so, what’s your favorite recipe? Leave me a comment down below so I can feature more smoky cocktails!

Ingredients for a Mezcal in Maui

• 1 1/2 oz mezcal
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1/4 oz Demerara syrup or simple syrup
• mint & lime wheel for garnish

How to Make a Mezcal in Maui

Add the mezcal, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Demerara syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Garnish with the lime wheel and mint.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@girlandtonic_) if you make this tropical and smoky cocktail.