Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Tequila Mockingbird

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Crème de menthe and tequila sounds like a dare. Lime is what holds the two apart, and there is a lot of it here. Keep the mint in a supporting role and it drinks like a herbal Daiquiri; overpour and it's toothpaste.

Preparation~2 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 26% ABVMethodShaken7 guided stepsIngredients3Coupe or martini glass
Sour

In the glassTequila (blanco) · Crème de menthe · Fresh lime juice

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Tequila Mockingbird in a clear shallow coupe styled in a restrained modern mezcalería with blackened steel, pale clay render and rough volcanic stone.
Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.
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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear coupe glass with a shallow rounded bowl and slender stem.
Serving glassCoupe glass

Set up before you pour

Use a coupe glass.

The stem keeps your hand away from a cold drink, while the rounded bowl makes an up serve easy to sip.

Standard size
200 ml6¾ oz
Ice & serve
Chill it first; serve without ice.
If you don’t own one
Use a small martini glass or stemmed dessert glass.
Tools to set out
  • cocktail shaker
  • strainer (or a small sieve)
  • jigger or measuring spoon
Compare all glass types
Scale to your coupe or martini glassWe’ll remember this glass size.
  • Tequila (blanco)45 ml
  • Crème de menthe15 ml
  • Fresh lime juice22 ml
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From bottle to glass

Method

  1. 01
    Instructional sketch: Measure and pour spirit vodka into the shaker tin without serving ice.
    Measure into the shaker

    Pour 45 ml tequila into your shaker

    • Tequila (blanco)
  2. 02
    Instructional sketch: Measure and pour liqueur herbal into the shaker tin without serving ice.
    Measure into the shaker

    Add 15 ml crème de menthe

    • Crème de menthe
  3. 03
    Instructional sketch: Measure and pour fresh lime into the shaker tin without serving ice.
    Measure into the shaker

    Add 22 ml fresh lime juice

    • Fresh lime juice
  4. 04
    Instructional sketch: Add cubed ice to the shaker tin.
    Ice the shaker

    Fill the shaker with ice

  5. 05
    Instructional sketch: Seal the two-piece shaker and shake it firmly with both hands.
    Seal and shake

    Seal and shake hard

  6. 06
    Instructional sketch: Strain the green cocktail from the shaker into the coupe glass without serving ice.
    Strain cleanly

    Strain into a chilled glass — no ice

  7. 07
    Instructional sketch: Finish the green drink in the coupe glass without serving ice with Lime Wheel.
    Finish the drink

    Finish it — add a lime wheel

Know your drink

About the Tequila Mockingbird

A salt-rimmed Margarita, coral Paloma and mezcal rocks drink on an agave terrace.

Handling crème de menthe

European rules require a crème liqueur to carry at least 250 grams of sugar per liter, which is why 15 ml of crème de menthe can steer an entire drink on its own. Green and white bottlings usually taste the same and the color is dye. Buy white if the green is what stops you drinking it.

Name is a pun on the novel and nothing deeper, and the drink turns up under several different builds, some with white crème de menthe, some finished with soda. What holds across all of them is the tension between agave and menthol. Lime is the referee. Cut it back and the whole thing collapses into candy.

Common questions

Tequila Mockingbird FAQ

Green or white crème de menthe?

Taste is essentially identical in most brands, since green is simply dyed. Green gives you the pale jade look the drink is known for. White makes it resemble a cloudy Daiquiri and stops guests assuming it's mouthwash before they have tried a sip.

Could I use fresh mint instead of the liqueur?

You can, but you're rebuilding the drink. Muddle eight or ten leaves, add 10 ml of simple syrup to replace the sugar the liqueur was carrying, then double-strain. What comes out is fresher and far less sweet, and it no longer tastes like this.

The mint is running over everything.

Cut it to 10 ml and add 5 ml of simple syrup to make up the missing sugar. Crème de menthe is a loud liqueur and brands differ enormously in intensity. Build it at 10 ml, taste, and move back up only if the mint vanishes.

Does the tequila choice matter under all that mint?

More than you'd expect. A peppery, vegetal blanco is the only thing standing between the mint and pure candy, so buy something with bite and don't spend the drink's structure on a soft bottle. Reposado's oak and vanilla just muddle into the menthol.

What ingredients are in a Tequila Mockingbird?

A classic Tequila Mockingbird calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Crème de menthe, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lime juice. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Tequila Mockingbird?

A standard Tequila Mockingbird is roughly 26% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Tequila Mockingbird shaken or stirred?

A Tequila Mockingbird is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

Sharpen the technique

Skills used in this recipe

Hands holding both ends of a frosted two-tin cocktail shaker above a prepared home bar.
Technique6 min

How to shake a cocktail properly

The grip, timing, ice and visual cues that make shaken drinks colder and brighter.

Read the guide
Fresh lime being squeezed through a metal citrus press beside lemon, grapefruit and peel tools.
Ingredients6 min

Fresh citrus for cocktails: juice, wedges and balance

Get brighter lime, lemon and grapefruit flavor with better prep and storage.

Read the guide

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