As mezcal producers try to win over tequila drinkers, some of them have found ways to make their mezcal slightly more approachable — softer and less intense than many of their smoky counterparts on the market today.
One such example is Mezcal El Silencio, which produces two types of the smoky spirit: Joven, a double-distilled blend of three different agave species from San Baltazar, and Espadin, made from one species of agave and specifically crafted for cocktails. From the Espadin, you’ll get the smoky soul you’d expect from a mezcal, but it’s also got flavors of fruit and spice.
Those additional elements make it especially good in fruit-filled drinks like these, adding a complex savory note to the sweetness of the mango in the first cocktail and complementing the muddled jalapeño and cilantro in the second.
U Mango Me Crazy
2 oz. Mezcal El Silencio
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3 mango slices
6 lime wedges
Combine all ingredients except Mezcal El Silencio and muddle thoroughly. Add ice, shake and pour the entire contents into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of chile salt.
San Balthazar Summer
2 oz. Mezcal El Silencio
3/4 oz. agave nectar
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. watermelon juice
2 jalapeño slices
3 cilantro sprigs
Combine all ingredients except El Silencio and muddle thoroughly. Add El Silencio along with ice; then, shake and strain into an ice-filled large rocks glass. Top with watermelon cubes, chile salt and cilantro sprigs.
— Mezcal El Silencio
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