Koo Koo Cooler: A Spicy Mezcal Cocktail

Name: Koo Koo Cooler: A Spicy Mezcal Cocktail
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: AC Boone , Tiger Bar , Nashville

Photo: Victoria Quirk/@victoriaquirkphoto

September 15, 2025

A spicy, tropical refresher to stave off summer’s swelter.

According to AC Boone, head bartender of Nashville’s Tiger Bar, guests were requesting a spicy mezcal cocktail, but to stave off the heat of Nashville’s summers, she knew a blended drink was the way to go. For her Koo Koo Cooler, she combines espadin mezcal with an herbal liqueur, jalapeño-pineapple syrup, lime juice, egg whites, and some mint, creating a tropical refresher with some heat.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. espadin mezcal
1 1/2 oz. pineapple-jalapeño syrup
1 oz. fresh egg white (pasteurized if you like)
1/2 oz. genepy
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
4-5 fresh mint leaves
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup ice

Tools:blender
Glass:copa
Garnish:dehydrated lime wheel and fresh mint bouquet

Preparation

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend well. Pour into the glass and garnish.
Pineapple-Jalapeño SyrupCombine 2 cups of pineapple juice (fresh or canned) and 2 cups of sugar in a pot. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, for about 5 minutes. Don’t let it boil. Add in 1/2 of a jalapeño, de-seeded and diced, and 1/2 cup of loose, lightly packed mint. Blend into small pieces, but do not liquify. Strain through a nut-milk bag. Will keep for 4 days, if using fresh pineapple juice; or 8 days if using canned pineapple juice.
NoteFor a bit more spice, don’t de-seed the jalapeño.