Sotol Pepino

By Rebekah Peppler

Updated May 23, 2025

Sotol Pepino
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Rating
4(30)
Comments
Read comments

This refreshing drink doubles down on the earthy herbal complexity of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. When making this cocktail, be sure to muddle the cucumber and mint well. This ensures the final drink is infused with plenty of their bright, vegetal and herbal flavors — as well as a pretty green hue. A pour of blanc vermouth adds a touch of floral sweetness.

Featured in: It’s High Time You Added Sotol to Your Bar Cart

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:Makes 1 drink
  • 4(¼-inch-thick) cucumber slices
  • 1large mint sprig, plus more for garnish
  • Small pinch of flaky sea salt
  • 1½ ounces sotol
  • ¾ ounce blanc vermouth
  • ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
  • ¼ ounce agave syrup (see Tip)
  • Ice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a cocktail shaker, add the cucumbers, a sprig of mint and the salt. Muddle until the cucumbers are fully smashed, their juices released and the mint is fragrant. Add the sotol, vermouth, lime juice, agave syrup and ice. Cover and shake vigorously until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled lowball glass, and garnish with the remaining mint sprigs.

Tip
  • To make agave syrup, combine ½ cup agave nectar and ¼ cup warm water in a resealable jar. Stir or cover and shake until well combined. Agave syrup will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Ratings

4 out of 5
30 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

LQ

@EQ blanc vermouth is distinct from a sweet or dry - it falls somewhere in the middle of the two

Cristy

I didn’t have cucumber so used fresh apricot instead the muddling with fresh lime and mint- complex and refreshing cocktail!

Betsy

Not too many cocktail recipes out there using sotol, which is, incidentally, harvested more sustainably than the agave used to produce tequila and mezcal. Followed the recipe to a T, using SotoMayor and Dolin Blanc. The muddled cukes and mint made it very vegetal indeed (bits escaped the strainer and floated in the glass). Interesting as a change of pace for sotol, but we prefer to sip it neat and enjoy the taste without distraction.

EQ

Is this Blanc vermouth meant to be a dry or a sweet? Please specify.

LQ

@EQ blanc vermouth is distinct from a sweet or dry - it falls somewhere in the middle of the two

Scott M

@EQ blanc or bianco (depending if it’s French or Italian vermouth) tends to be sweeter than dry vermouth, but not as sweet as red. (In the recipe description it says the vermouth adds “floral sweetness”.) If you like sweet cocktails then consider a blanc vermouth that’s on the sweeter side.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.