Tequila cocktails are ubiquitous and mezcal cocktails are trending — but what of sotol, the oft-forgotten “third agave spirit” brimming with bright earthy flavor?

Contrary to popular misconception (and its inclusion on this site), sotol is not technically made from agave. Distilled from the desert spoon succulent found throughout northern Mexico and Texas, sotol is a terroir-driven spirit that combines the underground roasting process of mezcal with the herbal bite of gin.

Inside a quality cocktail, it’s a force to be reckoned with.

As much as we love sotol, it can prove difficult to track down at the average bar. If you happen to have some at home (recommendations here), feel free to try out these five sotol cocktails that bring out the very best in the underrated spirit.

Sotol’d Fashioned

Given the ubiquity of Old Fashioneds across the United States, sotol was inevitably going to attract its own punnily named variation.

The Sotol’d Fashiond contains exactly what you’d expect, albeit with a dash more orange zest than usual. Aged sotol works best if you’re looking to emulate the oaky flavor of a classic Old Fashioned, but if not, any quality sotol should do.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Sotol (Preferably Aged)
• 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Luxardo Cherry
• Orange Zest, for garnish
• Orance Peel, for garnish

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except orange peel into a shaker with ice, shaking for 10-15 seconds.
2. Pour into glass, adding a large ice cube. Sprinkle orange zest onto glass.
3. Top off with an orange peel an enjoy!

Strawberry Sotol Highball

If you’re a fan of the viral Ranch Water cocktail, then the Strawberry Sotol Highball will feel like a familiar favorite with a tasty twist.

The recipe balances out the minerality of Topo Chico and the tang of sotol with a sweet dose of strawberry syrup. It’s a refreshing, low-maintence cocktail perfect for a summer day and an easy recommend to any sotol-skeptics who are looking for something simple.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Sotol
• 1 oz Strawberry Syrup
• 6 oz Topo Chico
• Strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Add sotol and strawberry syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice, shaking for 20 seconds.
2. Strain into a highball glass with additional ice.
3. Slowly pour in Topo Chico and mix gently with a bar spoon.
4. Top off with fresh chopped strawberry.

The Dog Fighter

Pardon the scary name — The Dog Fighter is a tasty spin on the margarita that balances in peach, lemon and sotol for a whirlwind of unexpected flavors.

Created by the Little Water Cantina in Seattle, Washington, this cocktail mixes in tequila and orange liqueur to create something both recognizable and radically new at the same time.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Sotol
• 1 oz Tequila
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Maraschino
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2-3 dashes Peach Bitters

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice, shaking until chilled (15-20 seconds).
2. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and garnish with maraschino cherry.

Naked in the Desert

A riff on Death and Co.’s mezcal-centric Naked and Famous, Naked in the Desert swaps out smoke for dry spicy goodness.

The original cocktail was once described by its maker as a “bastard love child” of the gin-based Last Word cocktail and the whiskey-based Paper Plane. If you’re a fan of either, then this equal parts recipe is definitely one to try out.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Sotol
• 1 oz Aperol
• 1 oz Yellow Chartreuse
• 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until chilled, 10-15 seconds.
2. Strain into a glass with a large ice cube.

Perez-Entation

 

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Rounding out the list, we figure we’d include at least one elaborately over-the-top cocktail worthy of gourmet competition. Courtesy of the renowned Mayahuel mezcal bar in downtown New York City, the Perez-Entation lives up to its display-worthy name.

Mayahuel’s robust sotol cocktail menu spans the strawberry-tinged Desert Rose to the gingery Diablo De Chihuahua. Of their selection, we decided to include the Perez-Entation since it’s the only cocktail to incorporate six different types of liquor.

The recipe mixes in sotol, Martinique rum, green chartreuse, dry vermouth, jalapeño tequila and celery bitters to create a spicy vegetal concoction that tastes quite unlike anything else on the market. Sadly, Mayahuel has never divulged the exact proportions of the recipe. If you somehow have all the ingredients on hand, feel free to try tinkering one out for yourself.

Read More:

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