new era · shaken
Illegal recipe
A mezcal sour balanced with falernum and agave.
A Illegal is 45 ml (42.3 g) Mezcal, 22 ml (22.7 g) Fresh Lime Juice, 15 ml (15.8 g) Falernum and 7.5 ml (9.6 g) Agave Nectar, shaken and served in a coupe. It pours to about 89.5 ml before ice, at roughly 24.5% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasscoupe
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume89.5 ml
- Strength (est.)24.5% ABV
- Time4 min
Illegal ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mezcal | 45 ml | 42.3 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lime Juice | 22 ml | 22.7 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Falernum | 15 ml | 15.8 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Agave Nectar | 7.5 ml | 9.6 g | 1.28 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Illegal
- Set your coupe on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Mezcal, Fresh Lime Juice, Falernum and Agave Nectar to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Illegal: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Illegal?
Roughly 24.5% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Spirit-forward. Sip it, do not sink it.
What glass should a Illegal be served in?
A coupe. Chill it first — a room-temperature stemmed glass will undo half the work you just did in the mixing tin.
Can I make a Illegal without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Illegal
Naked & Famous
Mezcal's answer to the Paper Plane. Smoky equal parts.
Tommy's Margarita
Julio Bermejo's two-ingredient riff — agave nectar instead of orange liqueur.
Zombie
A potent tiki blend of rums, lime, falernum and grenadine.
Grand Margarita
A Margarita built up with Grand Marnier and a touch of agave.
Three Dots and a Dash
A Donn Beach tiki classic — rum, citrus, falernum and honey.
Daiquiri
White rum, lime, sugar. The benchmark for balance.