Mezcal Sour
A smoky, earthy riff on the classic sour: mezcal's campfire notes meet fresh lemon juice and agave nectar, crowned with a frothy egg white.
Ingredients
- 2 oz mezcal
- 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz agave nectar
- 1 egg white
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters, to garnish
Instructions
- 1Dry shake mezcal, lemon juice, agave nectar, and egg white without ice to build foam.
- 2Add ice and shake again vigorously until well chilled.
- 3Strain into a rocks glass over ice and dash bitters on the foam.
Origin & Story
The Mezcal Sour emerged alongside the wider mezcal boom in American craft cocktail bars during the 2010s. Bartenders discovered that mezcal's assertive smokiness paradoxically benefits from the sour format — the lemon juice's brightness and the egg white's softness create contrast that tames the spirit's intensity without blunting it, resulting in a balanced, complex drink.
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