It’s been a minute since I posted a recipe, but I know we are all still looking for new cocktails to devour. I’m so excited to share these below two cocktails from one of my favorite bartenders, Leslie Cobos. She put together a couple versions of classic mezcal cocktails including a mezcal collins recipe using a delicious and simple guava syrup.
I met Leslie when she was creating tasty mezcal cocktail creations at El Techo, the rooftop of El Destilado restaurant in Oaxaca (El Techo just reopened for service, by the way). We hit it off immediately and I always looked forward to whatever cocktail she decided to make for me every visit. Each one was delicious, creative, and complex.
Leslie, a Mexican-American, is now back home in Austin, Texas, where she leads mezcal tastings and educational events. She’s the Brand Educator for 5 Sentidos mezcal in Texas, and always blows me away with her extensive mezcal knowledge.
Shop mezcal online below:
Pin it for Later! Classic Mezcal Cocktails
Cocktail Essentials:
Cocktail Shaker Set
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Citrus Squeezer
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16 pc Cocktail Set
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Guest recipes below and all photos from Leslie Cobos.
Cocktail #1 : Mezcal Collins de Oaxaca
A Collins cocktail is super easy and refreshing! It is made with base spirit, lemon juice, sugar and sparkling water and is served in a tall glass.
Mezcal Collins Recipe Ingredients: Classic Mezcal Cocktails
Servings: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes (20-30 minutes with guayaba syrup recipe)
- 2oz Espadin (I used Montelobos Espadin) Shop other mezcals here.
- 1oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz guayaba (guava) syrup (see syrup recipe below)
- Sparkling water
- Ice
- 1 hoja santa leaf (if you can’t find hoja santa, you can substitute lemon peel)
Mezcal Collins Recipe Steps: Classic Mezcal Cocktails
- Take a shaker or glass and add mezcal, lemon juice, syrup and ice.
- Shake it!
- Strain into a Collins glass and fill the glass with ice.
- Top off with sparkling water.
- Add hoja santa leaf (or lemon peel) as a garnish.
Guayaba (Guava) Syrup Recipe
Guayaba Syrup Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 6 guayabas (guavas)
Guayaba Recipe Steps:
- Cut guayabas (guavas) into thick slices.
- Add water, sugar and guayabas (guavas) into a pot and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
- Turn off heat and let cool.
- Strain the syrup to get rid of the fruit/seeds and store in the fridge for no more than 30 days. Tip: Mix in ¼-½ oz of vodka with the finished syrup to make it shelf stable for up to 90 days!
Cocktail #2: Sonic Summer
One of my friends said this tasted like a cherry limeade from Sonic so here we go. This is using the same ingredients as the Collins de Oaxaca but with the addition of Aperol, an aperitif liqueur. I would challenge you to substitute other aperitifs and see what variations you can come up with!
Sonic Summer Ingredients: Mezcal Cocktail Recipe
- 1oz Espadin (I used Montelobos Espadin) Shop other mezcals here.
- ¾ oz Aperol
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz guayaba syrup (see above for recipe)
- Ice
- 1 hoja santa leaf (if you can’t find hoja santa, you can substitute lemon peel)
Sonic Summer Steps: Mezcal Cocktail Recipe
- Take a shaker or glass and add mezcal, Aperol, lemon juice, syrup and ice.
- Shake it!
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass
- Add hoja santa leaf (or lemon peel) garnish
Huge thanks to Leslie for sharing her mezcal knowledge with us and these delicious classic mezcal cocktails with a twist. Check out her spirit and cocktail account for lots more mezcal and cocktail goodness.
Read more cocktail recipes here.
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