Oaxaca Sour

This is a very interesting Mezcal based cocktail. Very similar to a New York Sour, this cocktail uses Mezcal instead of Whiskey for a smokey, bold flavour. We've found people either love or hate this cocktail, so it's worth trying. Perhaps you can make a batch with friends and have a debate.

Regardless, make sure to make this cocktail with Mezcal and don't be tempted to use Tequila. Although Tequila is technically a kind of Mezcal, it's a different kind of Mezcal. You simply won't get the same kind of cocktail if you use Tequila. The Mezcal has more intense flavour to it that works really well with the citrus and is toned back a little bit by the wine. Using Tequila just won't have the same balance.

Give this cocktail a go, see if you like it.

Total Time 5

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

45 mL Mezcal
30 mL Simple Syrup* this may be too much for some, so modify as needed.
15 mL Lemon Juice
15 mL Lime Juice
15 mL Red Wine something fruity.

Instructions

Shake Mezcal, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, and Lime Juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until very cold.
Strain neat into a glass of your choosing.
Carefully pour the Red Wine over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top of the drink. Don't mix the Red Wine with the drink, it needs to float on top so that there are two layers: cocktail and red wine. This takes some practice but it's worth it for both taste and appearance.
Drink!

Notes

*Here's our Simple Syrup recipe.

As mentioned, there are some intense flavours going on with this drink. It's a really enjoyable treat but one that needs to be drunk slowly, as is often the case with a lot of sours and drinks with a lot of tartness.

With that in mind, make sure your citrus measurements are correct. It's easy to go overboard with the citrus and block out other flavours. That can be hard to do with a more robust Mezcal, but it's possible.

Our Review of the Oaxaca Sour

A New York Sour made with Mezcal? Yes please!

Look, I love riffs on the Whiskey Sour, and I love Mezcal, so I was excited to try this cocktail. And the Oaxaca Sour is pretty good. You’ll notice that a lot of cocktails that are the Mezcal twist on the standard use the term Oaxaca instead of Mezcal, but yeah, this is just a Mezcal Sour. It’s a nice touch that the recipe calls for a bit of Lime Juice in addition to the Lemon Juice; Mezcal (and Tequila) goes well with Lime, and that’s where this cocktail shine.

The addition of Red Wine, as with a New York Sour, is an interesting choice though. It’s surprising that it works so well, but at the same time a little confusing on the palette. Personally I preferred the cocktail without the Red Wine, but then you’re just drinking Mezcal with some citrus, which is great, but not as good as so many other cocktails.

The whole sour cocktail formula tends to work very well. Just shake a spirit with citrus, Simple Syrup, and sometimes a bit of Egg White, and it tastes great. But some spirits work better than others for this formula. There’s a reason why the Whiskey Sour is the standard! As I already said, Mezcal always goes well with citrus, which is why this cocktail should work better, but perhaps I was expecting a bit more. Maybe it’s because there are just better cocktails out there.

But honestly, that’s being overly critical of the Oaxaca Sour. There’s nothing wrong here, I just got excited by the thought of Mezcal mixing with a New York Sour, because it combines some things I quite like.

I’ll finish this review on a higher note without a lot of qualification to what I’m saying. If you like a Whiskey Sour, experiment. Try it with different spirits, including Mezcal. Maybe ditch the Oaxaca Sour and try to invent your own Mezcal Sour. This is one of those cocktails that will very much depend on the drinker’s personal taste. So don’t let my opinion sway you, try this one for yourself.

7/10

Review by Ziggy

So is this basically a Mezcal Sour?

Yes, the Oaxaca Sour is just a Mezcal Sour with a fancier name. If you want to have this cocktail as a straighter Mezcal Sour that’s closer to a classic Whiskey Sour, just don’t do the Red Wine float, and consider some Egg White as well if you want it frothy. Then you just have a Whiskey Sour where you’ve substituted Mezcal (and added Lime Juice, because it goes well with the Mezcal!).

Looking for other cocktails with Mezcal or Tequila?

Mezcal is a great, although sometimes unusual ingredient in cocktails. Tequila, which is actually a type of Mezcal, is a little bit more common as the flavour isn’t quite as out there. So, either way, if you’re looking for more, we have you covered:

Mezcal cocktail recipes: this is a list of all the recipes that have Mezcal in them. If you have a Mezcal bottle open already, keep it open and make more cocktails!

Tequila cocktail recipes: if you’re generally doing a Mexican vibe, we also have plenty of cocktails made with Tequila. A lot of these cocktails can be made with Mezcal instead of Tequila of course. The flavour will be bolder, but it can be a lot of fun!