Día de los Muertos 2026: The Mezcal and Tequila Worth Pouring, the Drinks to Make — and 8 Bottles from $34.99
Día de los Muertos runs November 1 and 2, and it is not a Mexican Halloween. It is a holiday for remembering the people you have lost, and the drinks that belong to it are the ones those people loved. Families build an ofrenda, an altar with marigolds, candles, pan de muerto, photographs, and a favorite food or drink for each person being remembered. For plenty of families that drink is a glass of tequila or mezcal. This guide covers what to buy if you are building an ofrenda, hosting a quiet gathering, or simply want to pour something agave-based in the spirit of the week, plus three drinks worth making. Everything below is in stock today at live prices, and the limited-edition bottle has only a handful left.
The 8 bottles for Día de los Muertos
The bottle made for the holiday
The one release that speaks directly to the week is the Don Julio 70th Anniversary Día de los Muertos 2026 Añejo Claro Tequila ($69.99). It is a 70th-anniversary añejo claro, the crystal-clear aged style that Don Julio is credited with starting, dressed in a collectible Day of the Dead bottle. It is a good gift for the tequila collector, and because it is clear and gently oaked rather than smoky or sharp, it is easy to pour for guests who do not usually drink agave spirits. If you would rather have the everyday version of the same house, the regular Don Julio Añejo ($62.99) is aged 18 months in American white oak and costs a few dollars less. Both belong in the Don Julio collection, and if limited editions are your thing, keep an eye on New Arrivals.
Mezcal for the altar and the table
Mezcal is the more traditional choice in Oaxaca, where the holiday is especially elaborate, and it pairs naturally with the candlelit, smoky mood of the evening. Two bottles here are made in Oaxaca from espadín agave. Pelotón De La Muerte Mezcal Artesanal Joven ($38.99) is a clean, balanced joven at a very approachable price, and its name ("platoon of death") makes it a natural conversation piece for the week. Mezcalum Artesanal Mezcal ($45.99) blends 95 percent espadín with 5 percent wild cuishe agave and is the one to sip slowly. If you are not sure what the words on a mezcal label mean, our guide to reading a mezcal label explains espadín, tobalá, artesanal and ancestral, and the mezcal collection has more to browse.
A word on serving. Traditional mezcal is usually poured into a small clay copita or a simple glass, with a slice of orange sprinkled with sal de gusano on the side. No ice, no shaker, and no rush. Sip it between bites rather than shooting it.
Smoky without going full mezcal
If your guests find mezcal too assertive, Patrón Ahumado Silver ($78.99) is the bridge. The agave is roasted over mesquite charcoal in underground stone pits for seven days, which gives a tequila that smells of a campfire but tastes round and approachable. It makes an excellent smoky margarita and an even better paloma. For heat instead of smoke, Tanteo Chipotle Tequila ($44.99) is a blanco infused with roasted chipotle, an easy way to make a spicy paloma without muddling jalapeños.
Buying for an ofrenda: a short checklist
If this is your first time building an altar, keep it simple. Choose one bottle that the person you are remembering would have recognized, set it out in a small glass or its own bottle, and add marigolds, a candle and a photograph. The drink is an offering, not a party trick, so there is no wrong price point: a bottle of Espolòn Silver ($39.99) can mean more to a family than a collector's edition if it was his favorite. Buy a second bottle for the living to share afterward, and remember that many families pour a small glass for the altar and drink the rest together once the evening is done.
Three drinks worth making
Mezcal Paloma. Fill a tall glass with ice and add 2 oz mezcal, 1/2 oz fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt. Top with 3 to 4 oz grapefruit soda and stir once. Pelotón or Mezcalum works well. For a spicier version, swap the mezcal for the chipotle tequila above.
Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Created by bartender Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York in 2007, this is the modern classic that put mezcal in the whiskey drinker's lane. Stir 1.5 oz reposado tequila, 1/2 oz mezcal, 1 teaspoon agave syrup and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters over ice, strain over a large cube and express an orange peel over the top. Use 818 Reposado ($34.99) for the tequila half and a splash of any bottle above for the mezcal half. If you like this style, our tequila Old Fashioned guide goes deeper.
The simple Margarita. Shake 2 oz of a clean blanco such as Espolòn Silver or Quita Penas Blanco ($37.99) with 1 oz fresh lime juice and 1/2 oz agave syrup, and strain over fresh ice into a salt-rimmed glass. Our classic margarita guide has the full ratios and the eight blancos that make it work.
What to pair and how to host
Pan de muerto, the sweet bread dusted with sugar, is the traditional pairing, and it works best with a reposado or añejo. Tamales, mole and tacos al pastor all handle mezcal well. Plan on a bottle of mezcal for about eight guests if everyone is sipping, and one tequila for the cocktails. If your own gathering falls closer to October 31, our Halloween cocktails guide covers spooky drinks, and for a bigger tequila overview start with the NOM number guide and our sipping guide for añejo and cristalino.
Stock the ofrenda bar
Whatever you pour, the best way to honor the holiday is to buy with intention and take your time. Start with the tequila collection and the mezcal collection, check Best Sellers for what other hosts are choosing this week, and order early in the week so everything arrives well before November 1. Please drink responsibly and have a plan for getting everyone home safely.
