Mezcal Sour

History

The Mezcal Sour is a modern adaptation of classic sour cocktails, blending the smoky depth of mezcal with the bright acidity of citrus. While the exact origins of the Mezcal Sour are unclear, it follows the tradition of sour-style cocktails, which date back to the 19th century when bartenders combined spirits, citrus, and sweeteners to create balanced drinks. The Whiskey Sour, which was first recorded in 1862, set the foundation for spirit-forward, citrus-based cocktails. Mezcal has been produced for over 400 years, but its popularity in cocktails surged in the early 2000s, as bartenders embraced its smoky complexity. The Mezcal Sour likely emerged as part of the craft cocktail revival, where mixologists experimented with mezcal in classic recipes. Mezcal itself has a deep history, with indigenous fermentation traditions dating back centuries. Some historians believe mezcal may have been the first distilled spirit in the Americas. The Spanish introduced distillation techniques in the 16th century, leading to the mezcal we know today.