dead poet

1 oz Blanco Tequila (Lunazul)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 tsp Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime twist.

Two Thursdays, I selected a drink that I had spotted on Imbibe called the Dead Poet. The recipe was crafted by Keegan McGregor at Field Guide in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Keegan confirmed my suspicion via Instagram that it was indeed a riff on the gin-based Poet's Dream with a duo of agave spirits and a touch of Yellow Chartreuse in the mix by commenting, "You're the first person to see that it's a Poet's Dream riff." I replied that, "I love that drink especially since Benedictine was one of my first herbal liqueurs to play with circa 2006. More people might know it as the Ford Cocktail, but I prefer the [name] Poet's Dream. Cheers!" With different bitters and/or absinthe in the mix, this gin, dry vermouth, and Benedictine trio also goes by other names in the cocktail literature. Therefore, I was excited to try a tequila-mezcal riff.
The Dead Poet recited a lime, vegetal agave, and hint of smoke aroma to the nose. Next, a honey and white wine verse on the sip led into a sonnet of smoky agave and minty herbal flavors on the swallow.