little branch cocktail

2 oz Lunazul Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Honey Syrup
1 dash Housemade Aromatic Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with Mezcal Vida (spirit not dumped after rinsing).

Monday last week, we headed off to Allston to get dinner at Grasshopper. Afterward, we rounded the corner to pay Deep Ellum a visit. There we found seats in front of bartender Jennifer Salucci, and I requested that Jennifer make me the Little Branch Cocktail off of their menu. The Little Branch Cocktail is the agave spirit sibling of the Scotch-based Penicillin Cocktail that Scott Holliday made me at Rendezvous almost a year ago. Instead of the Penicillin's blended Scotch with a smoky single malt accent, this cocktail calls for an aged Tequila to be punctuated by a smoky Mezcal. While the Penicillin Cocktail is credited to Sam Ross while he was at Milk & Honey in Manhattan, Sam also works at the nearby Little Branch bar.
The Little Branch Cocktail possessed a lemon oil and smoky agave aroma. The sip was dominated by Tequila, lemon, and honey flavors and was followed by ginger and Mezcal on the swallow. The most notable flavor combination was how well the ginger's bite paired with the Mezcal's sharpness. The Little Branch Cocktail was a bit of a showstopper, so afterward I switched to beer and ended the night with Clown Shoes' recent release, Eagle Claw Fist, which is an impressive Imperial Red Ale.