Mezcal Sour

The Mezcal Sour has a smoky, citrusy, creamy, earthy, balanced flavor profile. A smoky twist on the classic sour cocktail, featuring mezcal's distinctive agave character balanced with bright citrus and creamy egg white. This modern classic showcases mezcal's complexity while maintaining the perfect sweet-tart balance.

A Mezcal Sour requires 6 ingredients: Mezcal, Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Egg White, Angostura Bitters, Lime wheel.

A Mezcal Sour takes about 3 minutes to prepare and is considered medium difficulty.

A Mezcal Sour is traditionally served in a coupe, garnished with lime wheel and 3 drops of bitters on foam.

Yes, you can make a mocktail version of the Mezcal Sour by substituting the spirits with non-alcoholic alternatives such as seedlip, non-alcoholic distilled spirits, or flavored syrups and juices that mimic the original flavor profile.

The Mezcal Sour emerged in the early 2000s as craft bartenders began exploring agave spirits beyond tequila. While the classic sour template dates back to the 1860s, mezcal's introduction to American cocktail culture was relatively recent, coinciding with the mezcal boom of the 2010s. Phil Ward at Death & Co. is often credited with popularizing the mezcal sour format, though variations appeared simultaneously across craft cocktail bars in New York, San Francisco, and Mexico City. The cocktail represents a perfect marriage of old-world Mexican tradition and contemporary American cocktail technique. Unlike its tequila-based cousins, the Mezcal Sour celebrates the spirit's smoky, complex character rather than masking it. The addition of egg white, borrowed from the classic Pisco Sour, creates a luxurious foam that tempers mezcal's intensity while highlighting its nuanced flavors. Today, it's considered essential in any serious cocktail bar's repertoire, symbolizing the broader appreciation for authentic, artisanal spirits.