Upping Your Bartending Game with Agave Cocktails
Spicy Mezcal Mule
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Mezcal
- 1/2 ounce Lime Juice
- 1 1/2 ounce Ginger Beer
- 1/2 ounce Agave Nectar
- Chili Pepper
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake. Careful—the carbonation in the ginger beer will give a little pushback. Strain into a copper mule mug and add fresh rocks. Garnish with a pinch of chili powder.
Smoke and Mirrors
Ingredients:
- 1.5oz Tequila
- .5oz Campari
- .25oz Mezcal
- .5oz Grapefruit Juice
- .25oz Lime Juice
- Top with Seltzer
Directions:
Combine everything except Seltzer and shake, then strain into collins glass with fresh ice and top with seltzer water
Patron Honey-Ginger Margarita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Patron Silver Tequila
- 1 oz Honey Syrup
- 0.75 oz Lime Juice
- 3 coins Ginger
Directions:
Directions:
In the bottom of a mixing tin, muddle two ginger coins (round slices of fresh ginger about the size of a quarter) with the honey syrup.* Add Patrón and lime juice; shake vigorously with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass and garnish with a lime wheel and ginger coin.
*Honey syrup: Combine equal parts honey and warm water, stirring until the honey is dissolved thoroughly.
Pro cocktail tip: Because sugar will not completely dissolve in alcohol at room temperature, and honey will remain too viscous to mix, the home cocktail expert will need to transform these sweeteners into syrups to make the perfect cocktail.
To make a 1:1 simple syrup, dissolve 1/2 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of water on a stovetop over low heat. Pull it off the heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved, otherwise the water will evaporate and you’ll be left with a more viscous rich syrup. Let cool and pour into airtight containers. These syrups will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
When using raw sugars (turbinado, demerara, etc.) be sure to measure the sugar by weight rather than volume, as the coarse grains can be packed much less densely in a measuring cup than superfine white sugar. Similarly, a honey syrup or agave syrup can be made with 2 parts honey to 1 part water (by weight), to compensate for their existing water content.
If you’re looking for even more delicious ideas to dial up your at-home bartending game this summer, download our free app and check out our mood board for inspiration!