Mezcal, a Mexican distilled spirit made from different varieties of agave that can be made clear, golden or amber. Incredibly smoky, it adds a unique flavor to this margarita. The reason for the smokiness is because of the way the agave plant is cooked. Tequila, on the other hand, is made by distilling the juice of the blue agave plant. The combination of mezcal and tequila makes an extremely tasty margarita! I sweetened my cocktail with a little agave nectar and the juice from the pineapple. Don’t skip the step of grilling the pineapple. This is a perfect cocktail to help bring August to a close.
Ingredients
- 1 1 inch pineapple round
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce fresh pineapple juice
- 3/4 ounce agave nectar
- 1/2 ounce Mezcal tequila
- 11/2 ounces silver tequila I like Patrón
Servings: cocktail
Instructions
- Heat a gas grill to medium or heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the pineapple, turning once, until seared on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. Cut the pineapple into 4 chunks and set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle together lime juice, pineapple juice, agave, and 3 chunks of grilled pineapple. Add mezcal, tequila, and ice and shake well. Strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with a remaining grilled pineapple chunk or lime. Adapted from Saveur Magazine.