The best mezcal for margaritas

A margarita hides subtlety and punishes dilution, so the bottle needs cooked-agave sweetness, real proof, and a price that survives being mixed with lime. These are the bottles from the catalog we reach for when the drink is a margarita or a paloma, ranked by score with current average prices.

  1. Mestiza Negra Espadin (4.5/5, $26): The $20 house pour; stock it
  2. Banhez Espadin & Barril (3.5/5, $33): The default first bottle, with Mestiza Negra ($20 at Trader Joe's) as its rival
  3. Susto Mezcal Joven (3.5/5, $39): A friendly joven. Better in a Paloma than most at the price
  4. Fidencio Clasico (3.5/5, $40–90): A sleeper pick. Worth doubling up on and give one away
  5. Del Maguey VIDA Clásico (3.0/5, $36): Underrated as a category workhorse. Overrated as a sipper
  6. Yuu Baal Espadin (3.0/5, $37): Serviceable. Sip the ensamble instead
  7. Tehuana Joven (3.0/5, $40): Forty percent mutes the Totolapam ground. Terroir is there; proof isn't
  8. Montelobos Espadin (3.0/5, $44): A safe cocktail bottle. Pass for sipping
  9. The Lost Explorer Espadin (3.0/5, $53): Keep browsing. Banhez costs less and delivers more
  10. Tesoro de Moctezuma Ensamble (3.0/5, $40–90): Underwhelming. The region deserves a louder bottle than this
  11. Tecuán Cupreata (3.0/5, $40–90): Real cupreata notes trapped at 40.5%. The proof is fighting the agave
  12. Codigo 1530 Artesanal Ensamble (3.0/5, $58): Skip this; spend twenty more on the ancestral tobalá

See the best mezcal at every price →

Scores come from the same five-agave rubric as every review; prices are current averages across the US retailers we track. The full method lives in The State of Mezcal.