No. 39Tequila & Mezcal
Smoky Pickle Margarita
Mezcal smoke meets the pickle jar.
A Smoky Pickle Margarita is a pickle margarita built mostly on mezcal, so campfire smoke meets dill brine and lime. A little blanco tequila keeps it bright, while an orange peel and a half chili-lime rim tie it together. Served over one big ice cube, it sips slow and savory.
21+Updated
Brine3/53 of 5
Heat1/51 of 5
StrengthHigh
- Glass
- rocks glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Time
- 4 min
- Makes
- 1 drink
Ingredients
Make it for
Units
Amounts for 1, in ounces.
- 1 lime wedge (for the rim)
- 1 tbsp chili-lime seasoning (for the rim)
- 1½ oz mezcal (a joven espadín)
- ½ oz blanco tequila
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- ½ oz orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or triple sec)
- ¼ oz agave syrup
- ¾ oz dill pickle brine (chilled)
- 1 orange peel (a wide strip, for garnish)
- 1 dill pickle chip (for garnish)
- Glass
- rocks glass
- Rim
- chili-lime
- Garnish
- orange peel and pickle chip
How to make it
- Run the lime wedge around half the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in chili-lime seasoning.
- Set one large ice cube in the glass.
- Add the mezcal, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave and brine to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Strain over the big cube.
- Squeeze the orange peel over the drink, skin side down, to spray its oils.
- Garnish with the orange peel and a pickle chip.
Bar tips
- A joven espadín mezcal is the friendly, affordable place to start; save wild-agave bottles for sipping neat.
- Orange and smoke are a classic mezcal pairing, so don't skip squeezing the peel.
- A big cube melts slowly, keeping the drink cold without watering down the smoke.
Make it your own
- Go all in with 2 oz mezcal and no tequila.
- Use smoked salt on the rim in place of chili-lime for smoke on smoke.
Drink responsibly. This one is for adults of legal drinking age. Want it without the booze? The zero-proof drinks are just as briny.
Full recipe: dillin.org/recipes/smoky-pickle-margarita
