Pineapple Mezcal Margarita
Change up your margarita game with a smoky, pineapple mezcal margarita. The sweetness of the pineapple balances the smoke of the mezcal in this margarita recipe.
Why you’ll love this pineapple mezcal margarita
This past May, I went to a friend’s bachelorette party in Minneapolis. Of course, I wanted to go to a super awesome restaurant while we were there. We ended up at this one, and I had the best smoky pineapple margarita, complete with grilled pineapple. I immediately knew I wanted to recreate it, so I bought my own bottle of mezcal when I got back.
Unfortunately, making grilled pineapple syrup is just too much for me right now. I even bought fresh pineapples to make it, and they almost ended up going bad. I started playing around with simpler versions of for the recipe, and I tried out a few other cocktails while I was at it.
I made a few regular mezcal margaritas. I even tried a raspberry one, but I still loved how the mezcal paired so well with the sweetness of the pineapple the most. And after a few nights of margarita testing (not the worst part of my job), I came up with the perfect formula for a pineapple mezcal margarita.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this cucumber margarita, and this spicy pineapple margarita and this grapefruit aperol margarita.
Searching for more mezcal cocktail recipes? mezcal negroni / spicy mezcal sour / blood orange hibiscus mezcalita / mezcal paloma
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Mezcal – While we were recipe testing, I also had quite a bit of fun researching the differences between mezcal and tequila. Both are made from the agave plant, but unlike tequila, mezcal doesn’t have to be made in a specific region or from a specific type of agave. Mezcal is also produced using a traditional technique in underground roasting pits, which give it its unique, smoky flavor. There are more variations that can go into making it, but those are the basic differences between the two liquors.
- Triple sec – Triple sec or any other orange liqueur will work for this recipe, such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier or dry curaçao.
- Pineapple juice – Canned pineapple juice works great, and I like to buy smaller sizes (usually 6 ounce cans) so I don’t have to worry about waste.
- Lime juice – I always recommend fresh squeezed lime juice for cocktails.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make a pineapple mezcal margarita
These margaritas are super easy to make. You basically just throw everything into the cocktail shaker with ice and shake away. The best part about this recipe is that all the measurements can me made with a single tool, and you don’t need to do any math (unless you want to double it). I also love that you get 2 margaritas with an exact can of pineapple juice, so there’s no waste. If you’re using fresh pineapple juice, more power to you, but you’ll have to measure.
Be sure to salt you rim before doing anything else. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to dump my ice before straining the cocktails because I forgot to salt the rim. I hope you’re not as forgetful as me, but just in case, do it now. Fill them up with ice, and get mixing.
Make sure you shake until you cocktail shaker is super cold. I like to do it until my hands can’t handle it anymore, or until the outside is nice and frosted.
If you like this mezcal margarita: try my blackberry margarita smash.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces mezcal
- 1.5 ounces silver tequila
- 1.5 ouces triple sec
- 1.5 ounces lime juice
- 6 ounces pineapple juice
- Coarse salt (for rimming glasses)
- Lime slices
- Pineapple picks
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker. Combine margarita ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold.
- Strain and serve. Strain into salted margarita glasses filled with ice. Garish with lime slices and pineapple picks.
