Snake Eyes
A smoky and fruity mezcal cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.3% ABV ∙
The Snake Eyes is a shaken mezcal cocktail mixing coconut water, lime, cane syrup, and banana liqueur, served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Smoky and lightly sweet, the texture stays surprisingly light-bodied, with a tart edge and salty rim cutting through the finish on every sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rim the glass with salt
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Mezcal 45 mlCoconut water 60 mlLime juice 10 mlCane syrup 15 mlBanana liqueur 5 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
History
The Snake Eyes was created in 2021 by Ally Marrone, head bartender, and Robby Dow, beverage director, at Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn, New York. It draws on a Caribbean tradition of mixing blended Scotch whisky with coconut water, a combination long popular as a casual highball in Trinidad and other islands. Marrone and Dow reworked that pairing into a shaken cocktail by swapping in smoky mezcal for the Scotch and adding a portion of banana liqueur for a tropical accent, with lime juice and cane syrup rounding out the balance.
FAQ
What is in a Snake Eyes cocktail?
A Snake Eyes is mezcal shaken with coconut water, fresh lime juice, cane syrup, and banana liqueur, then strained into a salt-rimmed glass over ice. The coconut water gives it an unusually light body compared to most mezcal cocktails, while the banana liqueur adds a subtle sweetness behind the smoke.
How strong is a Snake Eyes cocktail?
It comes in at about 12.3% ABV, notably light for a mezcal cocktail since the coconut water dilutes the spirit. It drinks closer to a low-ABV highball than a typical spirit-forward mezcal sour.
Why is it called Snake Eyes?
The name most likely nods to mezcal's traditional association with agave-country imagery and the gamble of rolling dice, though no single documented origin is confirmed for this specific cocktail.
