High Noon (Mezcal-based)

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (56 ratings)

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 12 oz Del Maguey Vida Clásico Mezcal
12 oz Strucchi Red Bitter (Campari-style liqueur)
12 oz Cointreau triple sec liqueur
1 oz Pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)
4 drop Saline solution 4:1 (20g sea salt to 80g water)
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of grapefruit zest twist.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. EXPRESS grapefruit zest twist over cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 8/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 8/10

Review:

There's something about the more assertive style of mezcal that suits this cocktail better than its original tequila-based incarnation.

View readers' comments

History:

A riff on Naren Young's 2013 tequila-based High Noon cocktail. When I say "riff" the only change is swapping tequila for mezcal. This mezcal-based version was popular and is identified with New York City's Empellón Cocina Mexican-restaurant before its closure in 2017.

Nutrition:

One serving of High Noon (Mezcal-based) contains 177 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.5 standard drinks
  • 20.04% alc./vol. (20.04° proof)
  • 21.1 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the discussion

Showing 3 comments for High Noon (Mezcal-based).
See discussion in the Forum

Please log in to make a comment
Loïc Pierre’s Avatar Loïc Pierre
24th April at 20:58
Tried with spanish pomelo instead of grapefruit... I think it wasn't such a good idea. Next time I'll try it with proper grapefruit !
Probably not my favourite mezcal cocktail anyway.
Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
4th November 2023 at 02:31
Interesting; very interesting combination of flavors. Campari's characteristic bittersweet collides with the smokey bitters from the mezcal (I used Apaluz, wild grown and sustainably harvested Agave Durangensis), and the pony kicked back. Indeed the grapefruit juice contributed some bitter/sours as well and the whole thing works 'cause it's so boozy.
Egg McKenzie’s Avatar Egg McKenzie
1st May 2023 at 18:55
it's good. maybe i want to feel a bit more campari through the mezcal because i love campari & pamplemousse.