mexican monk

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Dry Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Galliano Ristretto)
1/4 oz Benedictine

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Sundays ago, I selected the Mr. Boston 75th Anniversary Edition book and stumbled upon the Mexican Monk created by Eric Alperin of Los Angeles' Varnish. The combination of sherry, coffee liqueur, and Benedictine reminded me of Misty Kalkofen's rye-based The Streets of Gettysburg, and the agave spirit in there reminded me of her Pare de Sufrir and Beneficio de Cafe as well. Two articles in 2011 in the Los Angeles Times and Wine Magazine place its invention sometime between that year and the Varnish bar opening in 2009; both of those articles cite Amontillado as the dry sherry of choice.
The Mexican Monk welcomed the nose with a lemon oil and agave aroma colored by darker elements from the coffee liqueur and sherry. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip led into tequila, nutty sherry, coffee, and herbal flavors on the swallow.