Devil Smoked Margarita
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.4% ABV ∙
The Devil Smoked Margarita is a mezcal-based riff on the Margarita, shaken with fresh lime, sugar syrup, and a float of red wine, served up in a cocktail glass. Smoky mezcal leads, tart lime cuts in fast, and the red wine float leaves a dry, faintly fruity edge on the finish — a striking after-dinner sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice: Mezcal 45 mlLime juice 30 mlSugar syrup 15 ml and fine strain into the chilled glass
- Carefully float Red wine 15 ml
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Shake mezcal, lime, and sugar syrup hard with ice for 12-15 seconds to fully dilute and chill before straining, since under-shaking leaves it harsh and hot.
- Float the red wine on top by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon after straining the shaken mixture into the cocktail glass, creating a layered sinking effect.
- Use fresh lime juice squeezed just before shaking; bottled juice mutes the smoky mezcal notes and throws off the balance against the 15 ml sugar syrup.
- Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass to keep the drink cold longer since there's no ice in the final serve, then garnish with a lime wedge on the rim.
History
The Margarita's origin is one of the most contested in cocktail history: rival claimants from Tijuana to Galveston date its invention between 1937 and 1948, and most historians trace it to the older Daisy family of cocktails. The Devil Smoked Margarita is a variation on this contested classic that swaps in mezcal for the traditional tequila, lending the drink a smoky character, while adding red wine to the mix.
FAQ
What is a Devil's Margarita?
A Devil's Margarita is a Margarita variation finished with a float of red wine, which adds color and a dry, fruity note on top of the tequila or mezcal base. This version builds it with mezcal, fresh lime juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and topped with the red wine, giving it a smoky character alongside the classic sour profile.
How do you make a Devil's Margarita?
Shake mezcal, fresh lime juice, and sugar syrup with ice, strain up into a chilled cocktail glass, then float red wine on top and garnish with a lime wedge. The wine is added last so it sits as a distinct layer rather than blending fully into the drink.
How do you make a smoked margarita?
A smoked margarita typically gets its smoky character from mezcal rather than tequila, since mezcal is distilled from agave roasted in earthen pits. This build uses mezcal as the base spirit alongside fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, shaken and served up, so the smoke comes through in every sip rather than from a smoking technique at the glass.
What is the 3:2:1 rule for margaritas?
The 3:2:1 rule is a classic Margarita ratio of three parts tequila, two parts orange liqueur, and one part lime juice. This recipe departs from that formula, using mezcal, a larger proportion of fresh lime juice, sugar syrup instead of orange liqueur, and a red wine float, which shifts the drink toward a tarter, smokier profile.
What alcohol is best for smoked cocktails?
Mezcal is the classic choice for smoked cocktails because its production process, roasting agave in underground pits, gives the spirit smoke as a built-in flavor rather than requiring a smoking gun or barrel chip. It is the base spirit used here, delivering that character directly through the shake rather than through a separate smoking step.
Is a Devil's Margarita shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lime juice and sugar syrup need the aeration and quick chill of a shake to integrate properly before the drink is strained up and topped with the red wine float.
What glass is a Devil Smoked Margarita served in?
A cocktail glass, served up, with a lime wedge for garnish.
