agony and ecstasy

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 oz St. Germain
1 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice. Add (~1 oz) ginger beer into the shaker then strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist with a small line of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce on top, and add straws.
On Sunday night, we went down to Drink and got seats at Sam Treadway's station. When Sam said that he had a Mezcal drink for me, I was game. The one he made, the Agony and the Ecstasy, used Del Maguey's newest Mezcal, Vida, which has a more approachable price tag than many of their offerings. The nose was dominated by the vinegary Chipotle Tabasco such that it even overwhelmed the Mezcal and the fresh grapefruit oils. Grapefruit and ginger flavors were on the front of the sip, and St. Germain and Mezcal notes were on the swallow. When I was served the drink, Sam suggested that I could adjust things by stirring in the Tabasco. After a few sips, I did just that, and the drink gained an extra smokey heat element on the swallow. Moreover, this modification allowed the Mezcal notes to shine through on the nose.