Tag: lime

mezcal

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

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The Mezcal in Maui is a tropical take on a mezcal margarita. If you love tiki drinks and smoky cocktails, this is the recipe for you.

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.

The Mezcal in Maui is a tropical take on a mezcal margarita. If you love tiki drinks and smoky cocktails, this is the recipe for you.

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.

The Mezcal in Maui is a tropical take on a mezcal margarita. If you love tiki drinks and smoky cocktails, this is the recipe for you.

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.

The Mezcal in Maui is a tropical take on a mezcal margarita. If you love tiki drinks and smoky cocktails, this is the recipe for you.

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.

Mezcal in Maui

A tropical take on a mezcal margarita. If you love smoky cocktails, you'll love the Mezcal in Maui.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz mezcal
  • ½ oz triple sec/orange liqueur
  • 2 oz pineapple juice
  • ¾ oz lime juice
  • ¼ oz Demerara syrup*
  • lime wheel & mint for garnish

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Notes

*You can find the easy recipe for Demerara syrup here OR you can use simple syrup instead..
Keyword demerara syrup, lime, lime juice, mezcal, orange liqueur, pineapple juice

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

tequila

Campari To-Kill-Ya | A Campari & Tequila Cocktail

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Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

I am so stoked to share this Campari To-Kill-Ya cocktail recipe today. If you’ve been following me for the last month or so, you’re aware of my mission to make myself love Campari. My feelings have gone from despise –> tolerate –> like –> really enjoy –> love. It’s been an experiment to see if one can acquire an acquired taste. I’m happy to report that you can.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

In case you don’t know what Campari is, it’s a super bitter/funky red liqueur. Drinks with Campari usually take on its signature red hue, making them look deceptively sweet. But that’s typically far from the truth. I think this one of the reasons I wanted to like this liqueur. I’m usually not a fan of sweet cocktails so I was intrigued by this alcohol that seemed to be the antithesis of all things sweet & fruity.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet. | Summer cocktails

Trying Campari in a variety of cocktails is what helped me start to notice and appreciate its nuances. It’s been fun to see how it plays with other flavors, like pineapple juice, mint, & lime, and other liquors like gin, rum, and tequila.

The first Campari cocktail I made was a Negroni because it is THE classic Campari cocktail. I really didn’t like it. Then I made a Boulevardier and tolerated it. Not long after, I saw the recipe for a Gin Campari Sour and I really liked it. The simple syrup and egg white really helped smooth over the rough edges of the gin, Campari, & lemon juice. It was fun. Next, I made a [few] Americanos and truly enjoyed them. The cocktail that made me LOVE Campari??? Well, that recipe’s coming soon. Maybe this week, maybe next. It’s a little more complicated and I need to restock one of the ingredients but WOOF.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

Now that I love Campari, I’m on a new mission: try as many Campari recipes at I can. I remembered I had saved a Campari and tequila cocktail on my Instagram a while back. Armed with my newly-enlightened tastebuds, I was ready to try this drink. I would NOT have thought that Campari and tequila could go together, but Julianna McIntosh’s recipe convinced me to give it a shot.

Julianna is the creative genius behind the cocktail recipes at Bringing It Home and she also has an Instagram account, Join Jules. You can find the original post for her recipe here. The photos alone are eye candy and she really seems to have a knack for creating original recipes. She’s also got a recipe for a Mezcal Negroni. Oh my garsh. Smoky mezcal… bitter Campari… bright orange… I think I’m salivating. I’m going to have to try that recipe soon.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

If you love Campari already, I really think you’re going to enjoy this Campari To-Kill-Ya recipe. If you’re on the fence about it, try it out anyway. The bitterness of the Campari really ends up making the orange & lime juice taste grapefruit-y. It’s very enjoyable. Bright, refreshing, and a touch boozy.

Julianna’s original recipe calls for monk fruit simple syrup, which is made the same way regular simple syrup is made, just with monk fruit granulated sugar instead of white sugar. I don’t have monk fruit sugar so I just used regular and the recipe still came out divine.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

Ingredients for a Campari To-Kill-Ya

  • 1 1/2 oz tequila
  • 3/4 oz Campari
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice (fresh is always best–prove me wrong)
  • 1/2 oz fresh orange juice (ditto above)
  • 1/2 oz monk fruit simple syrup or regular simple syrup
  • 6-10 mint leaves, + more for garnish
  • Sparkling water or club soda (I used club soda and the trace amount of salt really played up the flavors, IMO)

How To Make a Campari To-Kill-Ya

Add tequila, Campari, & mint leaves to a cocktail shaker and muddle until the leaves are bruised. Add ice, lime juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake well. Strain to a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off with the club soda.

tequila

Spicy Basil Margarita | A Simple & Spicy Cocktail with Kashmiri Chili Powder

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Spicy Basil Margarita with Kashmiri Chili Powder is the best drink for summer. It's bright, refreshing, with a little kick to it. If you've never had a spicy cocktail before, give it a try.

This Spicy Basil Margarita is easy to make and perfect for summer. It’s finally warming up in central Texas (after an unseasonably cool spring) and that means Margarita season is beginning. Actually, I think it’s always Margarita season in the south. But whether you still have snow on the ground, like my friend Laura at We Galavant The Globe, or whether you’ve been sweating for weeks now, this Spicy Basil Margarita is sure to hit the spot.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

This is going to sound very un-Texan of me, but I have to be in the right mood for a Margarita. I’m always down for one at a Mexican restaurant or when lounging at a pool. But casually sipping on one in the living room? Never really had that craving. Until I was thinking about a way to utilize my new Kashmiri chili powder that my friend brought me back from South Africa. How could I utilize this exotic spice? Then I realized I have yet to post a Margarita recipe on Girl & Tonic so I knew I had to make a spicy Margarita recipe for sure.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product/service or sign up via my affiliate link, I would receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love and believe in.

If you don’t have Kashmiri chili powder, you can use tajin (yo, Texans- I know you have access to this) or regular chili powder. Kashmiri powder is used more commonly for its color than its heat, but it does have some heat to it and a really beautiful flavor. Its spiciness falls between mild paprika and fiery cayenne. I used 2 pinches in my Spicy Basil Margarita and then dusted some on top. You can also rim your glass with it. I opted for a swatch because it looks artsy. I got the Kashmiri chili powder to stay exactly where I wanted it by using agave syrup and then sprinkling dumping the chili powder over it.

Now, maybe the thought of a spicy cocktail is a new concept to you or maybe you’re already a fan. If you’re the former, I challenge you to try this Spicy Basil Margarita. It’s fresh and bright with a little kick to it. It’s not going to light your mouth on fire, I promise. (Well, not unless you’re a total spice wimp… I once knew a girl whose eyes watered when she put black pepper on her food. How..?) You can always taste as you go and add more to your liking. You might be surprised by how much you can actually handle.

Spicy food releases endorphins and dopamine, your “pleasure” and “reward” sensations, which is why you often can’t stop eating- or drinking- something spicy. Your mouth is feeling the burn, but your brain is translating the consumption of the spicy substance as a rewarding experience, so you are compelled to consume more. Your Brain on Capsaicin is an in-depth science-y article that goes into more detail about the science behind spicy foods. In fact, I was today years old when I found out that we don’t actually have tastebuds associated with “spiciness”. Yeah. You should read that article.

While we’re talking about food science, let’s chat about adding sweeteners to spicy Margaritas. This may sound crazy, but adding agave or simple syrup into a spicy Margarita doesn’t make it sweeter– it actually makes it taste spicier. Yeah. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true and there’s science to prove it. Jess Dang wrote an informative article called A Study of Flavor Profiles. If you don’t have time to read the article, check out this helpful infographic from it:

Spicy and sweet flavors bring balance to one another and create a more dynamic flavor. Then take into account that this Spicy Basil Margarita also has the sour flavor going on with the lime juice. Wow. Talk about flavor dynamics.

Honestly, when I first made this cocktail, I only put a splash of agave in. I didn’t want it to be too sweet, after all. I tasted it. Good. I took some photos. I added more Kashmiri chili powder. Tasted again, and yet it didn’t taste much spicier. Then I remembered reading the aforementioned article a few days ago and doubled the amount of agave. Tasted again. BOOM. Instantly spicier and richer.

If for no other reason, make this cocktail as a science experiment and see if me and Jess Dang are right. Or leave out the chili powder & basil and enjoy a classic Margarita.

Ingredients for a Spicy Basil Margarita

  • 1 1/2 oz tequila (blanco is traditionally used for Margs but you can certainly use reposado)
  • 1 oz triple sec/orange liqueur
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice (freshly-squeezed makes all the difference)
  • 1/3 oz agave nectar (or simple syrup)
  • small handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Kashmiri chili powder (or other chili powder)

How To Make a Spicy Basil Margarita

For rimming your glass: Rub a juicy lime wedge around the top rim of a glass.  Fill a place or shallow bowl with either chili powder, salt, or a combination of the two. Dip the rim in the spice. Fill with ice.

Add the tequila and basil leaves to an empty cocktail shaker. Using a muddle or the back of a spoon, muddle the basil leaves until they’re bruised. Then add ice, orange liqueur, lime juice, agave, and 1-2 pinches of chili powder to the cocktail shaker. Shake well. Taste and see if you want more spice. Strain into your Margarita glass (or a lowball glass or a Solo cup or a mug for all I care). I’m partial to my super cute cactus Margarita glasses that I THOUGHT were a vintage at a thrift store but joke’s on me ’cause they’re from Dollar Tree. There are some really similar ones on Amazon, too.

Gimlet
gin

Gimlet | A 2- or 3-Ingredient Classic Cocktail

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The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.
Gimlet

Wow. Crazy times, right? We are experiencing something unprecedented as a country–no, as a planet– right now thanks to COVID-19. I hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should post cocktail recipes, because it all seems a little frivolous right now.

However, I’m thinking you’ve got some extra time on your hands. And since I’m assuming most people can’t go out, I’ve compiled a list of several classic cocktail recipes that have 3 ingredients you probably already have. I’ll be writing them over the next week or two. If you don’t have the right ingredients, make some modifications and call it a quarantine experiment. Everything is more fun when you call it an experiment, right?

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail. Traditionally, it calls for lime cordial (the most common being Rose’s Lime Juice). However, I don’t have any lime cordial and I’m not about to brave the stores for something so… unessential. So I’m improvising by using fresh lime juice and sugar. It’s definitely different than what a Gimlet usually tastes like, so make sure to give both versions a fair try once grocery stores and online-orders are bit easier to deal with. One plus side to using fresh lime juice is the extra dose of vitamin C. Extra vitamin C in a time like this sounds like a good idea to me.

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.

If you have citric acid chillin’ in your pantry, though, you can make this homemade lime cordial. I really want to try this in the future so if any of y’all make it, let me know how it is!

If you have some leftover rose simple syrup, honey simple syrup, matcha simple syrup, or beet simple syrup from one of my other cocktails, you could always use that in place of the traditional simple syrup in this recipe. See? So many ways to experiment while you’re stuck at home! Also– if you’ve got a kid at home with you, make them a mocktail with lime juice, sparkling water, and simple syrup. It’ll basically be a DIY Sprite, with no artificial weird stuff.

I opted to make this cocktail outside, because why not? It took me all of 45 extra seconds to carry the ingredients outside. I can’t believe it’s the first time I’ve ever mixed a drink outdoors. It definitely won’t be my last. I actually made this Gimlet while wearing my baby in a ring sling. Baby-wearing, cocktail-slinging. I am Mama, hear me roar. Or something like that.

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.f

The Ingredients for a Traditional Gimlet

The Ingredients for a Do-What-You-Can-With-What-You-Have Gimlet

How to Make It

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir until the syrup is incorporated well. Or rebel against tradition since we’re already not using lime cordial and shake the dang thing. Strain into a coupe glass or martini glass. Sip on your porch or balcony to add some vitamin D to your vitamin C.

Gin recommendations for Gimlets (or other cocktails that put gin on full display)

I only had Opihr gin on-hand (a spiced gin) and while it was still definitely good, I would recommend gins that lean more clean-tasting, like:

  • Hendricks (distilled with cucumbers, so this would be complemented in a Gimlet)
  • Bombay Sapphire
  • Prairie (certified organic & gluten-free) **This has been my go-to gin for years. I love supporting small-scale distilleries and family-run farms. I love, love, love this company. No, this isn’t a sponsored post but, uh, Prairie Organics if you’re reading… hi 🙋🏻‍♀️
  • Beefeater (has a less-pronounced juniper taste & goes nicely with citrus)
  • Koval (a kosher and organic small-batch dry gin)

I’m personally just getting into the wide, wide world of gin. Honestly, prior to starting this cocktail blog and building relationships with other cocktail bloggers, I didn’t know gins could be SO diverse and distinct. We’re all learning here together at Girl & Tonic! If you’re interested in delving into gins more, or you’re just bored at home with nothing to read because your library’s closed, The Gin Observer is informative and has a ton of gin brands and cocktail recipes to explore.

vodka

Rub of the Green | An Unexpected St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail

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A “rub of the green” is a way to usher in good luck, particularly in sports, but I think we could all use some extra luck (or maybe common sense and courtesy) in these crazy times. I know everyone has been reading post after post about COVID-19/Coronavirus, so I won’t say much about it except to say it WAS my inspiration for this cocktail, in a way. But whether you normally like to go on out St. Patrick’s Day or not, chances are most people around the world will be staying in this year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

The Rub of the Green is a nontraditional St. Patrick's Day cocktail made with matcha simple syrup.

To be honest, I’ve only really celebrated St. Patrick’s Day once. Unless wearing green on March 17th counts, I’ve never been a bit St. Patty’s celebrator. Don’t get me wrong– I think Saint Patrick himself was, well, a saint– but the thought of drinking dyed-green beer all day makes me want to turn green. I’m not a proponent of binge drinking and I feel that’s what St. Patrick’s Day has become, or has been. Hoards of drunk people being out and about? Ehh, no thanks. Then again, I’m not a fan of sober crowds either. Is my introverted side showing?

But while St. Patrick himself is still in this conversation, check out this short 2-minute history video:

Someone who willingly went back to his captors to tell them about the forgiveness and love afforded them in Jesus? Sounds like someone to be celebrated after all. Although I’m not sure downing beers beside a bright-green river would make him feel particularly honored. Perhaps we can just try to bestow a little more kindness and love to those who are different than us. I think he’d like that a little more. If you’re intrigued by St. Patrick, here’s a more detailed history.

As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 served as a starting board for my St. Patty’s recipe. I wanted to make a green cocktail for this holiday but I was not about to brave the crazed aisles of my local grocery store again. So, I resorted to looking through my pantry for green things. Hm… limes… tonic… OH! MATCHA POWDER… honeydew milk tea powder… cardamom… Turns out mixing honeydew milk tea powder with vodka is not very good. Maybe I’ll take that challenge on another day. BUT I was really into the matcha idea.

The Rub of the Green is a nontraditional St. Patrick's Day cocktail made with matcha simple syrup.

And thus the matcha syrup was born. You can check out the full recipe here. It is delightful and I’m excited to see what else I can make with it. It’s earthy but obviously sweet, hence the “syrup”. I’ve half a mind to use it to sweeten my iced green tea for an extra boost.

If I could go to the store, I would get some lime sparkling water to use in place of the tonic water. Tonic is a bit overbearing for such a delicate flavor like matcha. But, it was still definitely tasty.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, y’all!

The Ingredients

How to Make a Rub of the Green

Make your matcha simple syrup. Add matcha syrup, vodka, lime juice, and bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Pour into a lowball glass filled with ice and top off with sparkling water or tonic. Garnish with mint.

The Rub of the Green is a nontraditional St. Patrick's Day cocktail made with matcha simple syrup.