Smoke & Fire Mango Margarita Recipe

Chill a rocks or coupe glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill with ice water while preparing the cocktail.

Pour the smoked salt onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip rim into the smoked salt to coat lightly. Set glass aside.

Prepare

Peel and dice 1 ripe mango (about 1 cup diced). Place mango flesh in a blender with 1–2 teaspoons water if needed. Blend until very smooth.

Strain puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to remove fibers. You should yield about 3 oz (90 ml) for one cocktail. Chill until ready to use.

Fill a cocktail shaker with the ice.

Add 2 oz Ilegal Mezcal, 3 oz fresh mango puree, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz agave nectar, and 0.5 oz orange liqueur into the shaker.

Secure the shaker lid and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is cold and well mixed. This chills and slightly dilutes the drink for balance.

Discard ice or water from the chilled glass and double-strain the cocktail into the prepared glass over fresh ice (for a rocks presentation) or without ice into the chilled coupe.

Optional: For extra smokiness, gently float 0.25 oz mezcal on top. Pour the mezcal over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on the surface.

Garnish with a mango wedge on the rim and a lime wheel on the drink or skewered together. Serve immediately.

Tasting note: The mezcal's smoky character complements the sweetness of mango and the brightness of lime, balanced by agave and orange liqueur. Adjust agave to taste for sweetness.