A Marigold Mezcal Margarita is the perfect cocktail to celebrate the symbolic Day of the Dead flower, with marigold syrup, mezcal, and fresh lime juice.
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This recipe was first posted in 2016 and has been updated with new, clearer instructions, and step-by-step video.
Marigolds are the symbolic flower of Dia de los Muertos
More specifically, Cempasúchil, which is a Mexican marigold that is native to Mexico. These tall-stemmed queens that are strewn into wreaths, and constructed into brilliant arcs surrounding altars in Oaxaca and all over Mexico for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Their blossoms can be as big as 6-inches and grow wild in the Oaxacan countryside through October leading up to Día de los Muertos celebrations on November 1 and 2. They have a fragrant scent and bright orange color that is said to awaken the senses of the dead and bring joy to the living.
Their symbolism makes them perfect for a Day of the Dead cocktail which we made for our Dia de los Muertos Fiesta. Dried marigolds make a beautiful syrup and their floral, slightly bitter flavor go smashingly with smoky mezcal. This is definitely one of my favorite cocktails.
One reader, Meg, commented: “Gah, this cocktail was SO good!!! I’m going to have to make another batch for the weekend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
Marigold Blossom Is This Month’s Challenge Ingredient!
Every month we hold a Challenge Ingredient Recipe Contest where we feature a Mexican ingredient that is common in Mexico but may be unfamiliar in the US and abroad. This month’s ingredient is dried marigold flowers also known as Cempasúchil. This particular variety of Mexican marigold is often confused with Calendula which is in the same family, but Calendula are native to Africa and are a different genera.
Dried Cempasúchil are easy to find online and are completely edible. Any leftover flowers can be steeped in hot water with a little honey for a soothing tea.
To enter the contest you need to make the marigold margarita recipe (see below for non-alcoholic version), take a picture of it, email me the picture at kate@holajalapeno.com, then leave a comment below as well as a star rating.
At the end of the month, 1 winner will receive a $150 Amazon gift card!
You can find all the contest details here and you can browse all the previous recipe challenges here like last month’s chiles en nogada recipe.
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Flor de Cempasúchil – Dried Marigold Flowers
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Buy Now → What You’ll Need To Make This Marigold Margarita Recipe
- Granulated Sugar: To make the marigold syrup.
- Dried marigold flowers: These are edible flowers that give this cocktail a gorgeous yellow hue and musky-sweet flavor.
- Mezcal: Smoky mezcal goes perfectly with the Mexican marigolds and I just love using it in margaritas. Try my cucumber mezcal margarita too!
- Lime juice: Fresh squeezed lime juice is essential for a good margarita.
- Kosher salt: For rimming the glass.
My New Favorite Mezcal
One of my newest mezcal discoveries is Mezcal Yuu Baal. It has undertones of smoke, but not in your face like some. It also is lightly fruity, like maybe kiwi? Whatever it is, it goes lovely with this cocktail; gentle enough to let the marigold essence come through.
If you prefer tequila, here are my 10 favorite añejo tequilas or get really fancy and make it with Cristalino tequila.
A fun marigold salt rim makes this cocktail extra special but what about rimming the glass with homemade tequila salt? Yum!
How To Make a Marigold Mezcal Margarita
First you’ll need to make the simple syrup. This is how we start so many margarita recipes, like our tamarind margaritas or our blackberry limonada margaritas. marigold simple syrup. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the flowers. Let steep at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Pour about 1/4 cup of salt on a shallow dish. Crumble a few marigold petals into salt and then rub the salt and flowers together.
Cut lime in half. Take one lime half and cut into thick slices. Rub one lime slice around the edge of a rocks glass or a margarita glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the marigold salt and fill the glass with ice.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Squeeze the remaining 3 lime wedges into the shaker, add mezcal and syrup. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with crumbled marigold flower and a lime wedge.
And party time!
Non-Alcoholic Variation
Lucky for us, there are quite a few really good zero-proof tequilas out there. To make this cocktail a mocktail swap the mezcal for one of these:
- Seven Giants Non-Alcoholic Reposado Tequila: Yes, this is made in Scotland, but it is remarkably good. All the blue agave notes and a slightly herbal tang with none of the alcohol.
- Seedlip Notas de Agave: Vibrant and refreshing, made from a blend of prickly pear, lime, and agave flavors, with a slight heat finish from the flavor of peppercorns.
- Aplós Arise Tequila Style Alternative: This is an adaptogen-infused beverage which promotes an elevated mood without the alcohol. It has of agave flower, lemon verbena, and black Sarawak.
Serve With:
Día de Los Muertos requires a special meal, serve these symbolic margaritas with
- Guajillo-braised lamb tamales and dulce de calabaza for dessert
- Shake one up and place on your ofrenda with a freshly-baked loaf of pan de muerto.
- Serve my favorite tacos arabes for a fun Day of the Dead dinner
- Or just do drinks and snacks and make this Mexican appetizer board
Marigold Mezcal Margarita Recipe
Marigolds are a symbol of Dia de los Muertos. Dried marigolds are said to cure any number of skin irritations and digestive issues. They are a bit bitter on their own but make a delicious golden syrup. They also can be steeped with water and drank as tea. You can buy them here.
Ingredients
For the Syrup:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup dried marigold flowers
For the Margarita:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3-4 dried marigold cempasúchil flowers
- 2 limes
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) mezcal
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) marigold syrup
- ice
Instructions
For the syrup:
- Combine the 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once boiling, remove from heat, stir in 1 cup flowers, cover and let steep at least 15 minutes but up to 2 hours.
- Strain and set aside to cool completely. This can be made up to a week in advance.
For the drink:
- Pour about 1/4 cup of salt on a shallow dish. Crumble 2 marigold flowers into salt and then rub the salt and flowers together.
- Cut lime in half. Take one lime half and cut into thick slices. Rub one lime slice around the edge of a rocks glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the marigold salt and fill the glass with ice.
- Fill a shaker with ice. Squeeze the remaining 3 lime wedges into the shaker, add 1/4 cup mezcal and 2 tablespoons syrup. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with crumbled marigold flower and a lime wedge.
Notes
- Syrup Swaps: If marigold flowers aren’t available, you can substitute with dried chamomile or calendula for a similar floral note, though the flavor will be slightly different.
- Serving Suggestion: This cocktail is perfect for Día de los Muertos gatherings or any fall celebration. Garnish with extra marigold petals for a beautiful, golden touch.
- Flower Safety: Be sure to use food-grade, pesticide-free marigold flowers for culinary use. Only edible varieties like Tagetes erecta (cempasúchil) are safe for consumption.
- Non-Alcoholic Version: Omit mezcal and add sparkling water and extra lime juice for a festive mocktail or try one of the non-alcoholic tequilas listed in the post.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1034Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 646mgCarbohydrates: 272gFiber: 4gSugar: 237gProtein: 1g
All photos courtesy of This Mess Is Ours
Gah, this cocktail was SO good!!! I’m going to have to make another batch for the weekend.
I think I left some syrup at your house, right? 🙂
I’ve got to try this margarita STAT!
Thanks, Heather! I think you’ll love it!
Love this pretty and tasty marigold margarita. My guests loved it too. I give it a 5 star rating.
Thank you Mary! I’m so happy you gave it a try!
We made this on a family vacation, and it was gone in no time! Thanks for the recipe. Definitely will be making these again!
Yay! So happy you loved them.
This was so refreshing and tasty! Definitely hit the spot and will be making more!
Thank you! I’m so happy you tried them and loved them.
Es delicioso este cóctel, el sabor ahumado del mezcal lo hace muy especial, no sabe igual con tequila, nunca se me hubiera ocurrido hacerlo con cempasúchil!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ gracias!!!
¡Muchisimas gracias!