Kick back with a Clementine Mezcal Margarita, made with fresh squeezed citrus juice, smoky mezcal and a spicy salted rim.

This post is sponsored by Darling Citrus®. All opinions are my own.

With temperatures starting to warm up a tad, I thought it was high time I share another margarita recipe with you! This Clementine Mezcal Margarita is made in partnership with Darling Citrus. Founded by Luke Sears, the company is known for being the first to bring clementines to the United States!

Darling Clementines® are grown in the most fertile areas of Chile, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Morocco. They are easy to peel and bursting with juicy flavor. Their high juice ratio and the fact that they are in season year-round makes them perfect for these mezcal margaritas!

This margarita features fresh-squeezed juice from Darling Clementines and mezcal instead of tequila- although this recipe works great with tequila, too!

What is the difference between mezcal and tequila?

Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant, much like tequila. However, there are a few key differences between mezcal and tequila. For one, tequila can only be made from the blue agave plant, while mezcal can be produced from over 30 different varieties of agave.

The two spirits are also produced in different regions of Mexico and distilled in different ways. Mezcal is cooked inside earthen pits that are lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots, which results in the smoky qualities commonly associated with mezcal.

The smoky citrus salt that lines the rim complements the smoky notes of the mezcal beautifully!

How to make a Clementine Mezcal Margarita

Making this Clementine Mezcal Margarita is extremely easy and only takes a few short minutes. The first step is to make the smoky citrus salt rim by mixing together salt, smoked paprika and a little bit of citrus zest from one of the clementines.

Next, simply dip a rocks glass into the salt mixture and fill it with ice. Then, in a pint glass or cocktail shaker, stir together the margarita ingredients: fresh squeezed juice from Darling Clementines, lime juice, mezcal and Grand Marnier, an orange liqueur.

Variations

• If you can’t find clementines, a different type of citrus may be used. Blood orange, cara cara orange or naval orange would all be lovely. Fortunately Darling Citrus carries those varieties, also!
• You can easily substitute any tequila if you are not a fan of mezcal.
• If you’d like the drink to taste a little sweeter, try adding 1/2 ounce-1 ounce of honey or simple syrup.

More Mexican-inspired cocktails:

• Tamarind Ginger Margarita
• Hibiscus Margarita Sorbet
• Rosemary Kumquat Paloma

Thanks for reading! To keep up with me in the kitchen, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. If you make this Clementine Mezcal Margarita, please share it using the hashtag #LePetitEats!

5 from 2 votes

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Clementine Mezcal Margarita

Kick back with a clementine mezcal margarita, made with fresh squeezed citrus juice, smoky mezcal and a spicy salted rim.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword 5 de mayo recipes, mezcal cocktail recipe, tangerine cocktail

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 293 kcal

Author Denisse

Ingredients

For the smoked citrus salt:

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon zest from 1 clementine

For the margarita:

• 3 ounces fresh squeezed Darling Clementines® juice
• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 ounces Mezcal
• 1 ounce Grand Marnier liqueur

Instructions

1. Add salt, paprika and zest to a shallow dish and mix to combine.

2. In a cocktail shaker or pint glass, stir together Darling Clementines® juice, lime juice, Mezcal and Grand Mariner.

3. Dip the dampened rim of a glass into the salt mixture and fill glass with ice. Pour margarita into glass.

Recipe Notes

• If you can’t find clementines, a different type of citrus may be used. Blood orange, cara cara orange or navel orange would all be lovely. Fortunately Darling Citrus carries those varieties, also!
• You can easily substitute any tequila if you are not a fan of mezcal.
• If you’d like the drink to taste a little sweeter, try adding 1/2 ounce-1 ounce of honey or simple syrup.