loose translation

1 1/4 oz Scorpion Mezcal
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Mathilde XO Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Allspice Dram
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
~1 oz Ginger Ale

Shake all ingredients with ice except for the ginger ale, and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Top off with ginger ale. Garnish with a lime wedge and straws.
The first bartender showcased at the Bartenders on the Rise event at Green Street was Carrie Cole of Craigie on Main. I spoke to Carrie earlier in the evening about the art (and difficulty) of naming drinks. While we were discussing her Jubilee Line and its etymology, she mentioned the other ways she derives drink names. In this instance of the Loose Translation, inspiration came from her iPod during a subway ride via a New Pornographers song title. The drink itself started with a glorious Mezcal nose. Given its ingredients, I was surprised that it did not taste as orangy as I expected as the pineapple and lime flavors predominated in the realm of fruit notes. The sip started with Aperol and fruit notes and was followed by orange and smoke flavors on the swallow. In particular, the Aperol complemented the orange liqueur rather well. Carrie's addition of ginger ale to lighten the drink did work as planned, although perhaps a more potent ginger beer might have added more to the flavor profile, especially since the melting ice did a great job alone to soften the drink over time.