Pineapple Mezcal Sour recipe
Smoky mezcal meets bright fresh pineapple and tart lime in this velvety modern sour.
Method: Dry and wet shake, then fine strain ·
Glass: Chilled coupe glass ·
Time: 4 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: Modern Classics
Ingredients
- 2 oz Mezcal (Espadín recommended)
- 1 oz Fresh pineapple juice (Juiced fresh)
- 0.75 oz Fresh lime juice (Squeezed)
- 0.5 oz Agave syrup (1:1 ratio)
- 1 Egg white (Optional for emulsion)
How to make a Pineapple Mezcal Sour
- Add mezcal, fresh pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice.
- Dry shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
- Add ice cubes to the shaker and shake hard again until thoroughly chilled.
- Double strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge on the rim or bitters dashed onto the foam.
Garnish
Garnish with a small pineapple wedge or a few drops of Angostura bitters on the foam.
Pro tip
For optimal foam stability, use fresh ripe pineapple juice rather than pasteurized bottled varieties. If omitting egg white, a brief wet shake with cracked ice achieves rapid chilling and dilution without altering the silky mouthfeel.
History of the Pineapple Mezcal Sour
While contemporary mezcal sours emerged across North American craft cocktail bars during the agave boom of the 2010s, pairing smoky spirits with tropical fruit has deep roots in traditional Mexican cantinas and Caribbean mixology. Bartenders seeking to temper mezcal's assertive smoke naturally gravitated toward sweet pineapple and agave nectar, creating variations like the Pineapple Mezcal Sour. Although some sources attribute specific modern iterations to prominent craft bartenders in New York and Los Angeles, the exact origin remains decentralized and widely adapted across contemporary cocktail culture rather than tied to a single inventor.
Flavour profile
Smoky, Tropical, Tart, Balanced
Variations
- Spiced Pineapple Mezcal Sour — Infuse the agave syrup with fresh jalapeño or cinnamon to add spicy warmth.
- Coconut Mezcal Sour — Substitute half the pineapple juice with cream of coconut for a richer, tropical profile.
Practise making the Pineapple Mezcal Sour in the free Virtual Bar game.