riccardo

3/4 oz Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
3 dash Chili Flake Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry.

For my last drink at Coppa on Wednesday night, I asked bartender Ian to make me the Riccardo which seemed like an interesting twist on the Blood and Sand. Given that the Blood and Sand is named after a movie about bullfighting in Mexico, Mezcal and chili definitely seemed to make more sense than the original's Scotch. I wondered whether the Riccardo was named after a character in the movie so I asked bar manager Corey Bunnewith about the drink. Corey explained that it was named after a South End real estate guy who ordered enough of these concoctions to have the drink named after him. Apparently, this gentleman is as bright, cheerful, spicy, and full of life as the drink itself.
The Riccardo started with an almost Scotch-like nose due to the smoke notes in the Mezcal. The agave flavors appeared at the beginning of the sip, the orange and cherry notes in the middle, and the Mezcal's smoke on the swallow. Moreover, the chili pepper syrup generated a lingering tingle at the back of the throat after each swallow. Corey explained that the chili flake syrup was lightly flavored which was why the pepper notes did not come across as a burning heat on the tongue instead.