There’s a new margarita in town and it’s here to liven up your summer. The traditional margarita is one of the world’s most loved cocktails with its refreshing tartness balanced with a bit of sweetness, and held together by the smooth flavor of tequila. There are a lot of versions out there, many of which riff off the basic formula of tequila, triple sec, or Cointreau, and lime juice (and sometimes simple syrup or another sweetener). There’s even a version of the margarita that adds a splash of beer into the mix for a more effervescent drinking experience. But most of these recipes never mess with the spirit, since for many it seems impossible to have a margarita without tequila.
The 50/50 margarita, on the other hand, takes the cocktail to another place altogether by replacing the tequila with mezcal, its smokier relative, and sherry. The cocktail, first created by Natasha Bermudez, bar director at Printemps New York, in 2020 (while she was head bartender of Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Llama San), keeps everything else in the traditional margarita. The 50/50 in the name comes from the ratio of mezcal to sherry that replaces the tequila, and it’s this mix that makes this version so special.
Sherry and mezcal make this margarita special
Unlike tequila, mezcal is traditionally made from roasting the agave during its production rather than steaming it, which imparts a touch of smokiness into the 50/50 margarita’s flavor profile. Mezcal also gives the drink a touch of earthy grassiness and a pop of citrus. As when making any decent cocktail, be sure to use a decent quality liquor, like Paquera Mezcal Artesanal Joven or Del Maguey Vida Puebla, since it’s one of the key elements in this drink.
The original recipe uses manzanilla sherry, which is light and dry and adds salinity and minerality to the cocktail. If you’re surprised by the use of a fortified wine in this drink, you shouldn’t be. There are tons of cocktails that include fortified wines, from Manhattans to sherry cobblers. Sherry, which is from Spain, runs the gamut from light and dry (manzanilla) to sweet and fruity (pedro ximénez). You can play around with the various styles to find one that best suits your taste for this margarita. A bonus for some is the lower alcohol content of this version, since sherry’s ABV ranges between 15% and 22% as opposed to tequila, which averages around 40% to 50%. Similarly, the two mezcals we suggested are in the 40% ABV range. But really, you won’t miss it once you’ve tried this cocktail’s unique flavor combination that’s got a lot of depth, yet remains as refreshing as the original.
