1836

1 oz Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila
1 oz Campari
1 oz Carpano Antico Vermouth
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Add ice cubes (4), a straw, and an orange twist.

On Sunday night, Andrea and I headed over to Craigie on Main for a nightcap. While Andrea was drawn to the mezcal-laden Degüello on the menu, I was more curious to find out what bartender John Mayer had been playing around with off the menu. John picked a companion piece to the Degüello called the 1836; both drinks were named after bits of history from John's home state of Texas. During the Texas Revolution, Santa Anna's troops were preparing to attack the Alamo and they opted for some psychological warfare. They repeated a bugle call, El Degüello meaning "slit throat," signifying that they were planning to leave no man alive. Even the ones hiding in the Alamo's basement.

Degüello
• 3/4 oz Scorpion Mezcal
• 3/4 oz Oloroso Sherry
• 3/4 oz Punt e Mes
• 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
• 1/4 Demerara Syrup
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 5 drop Angostura Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a flamed orange twist.

My 1836 was named after the year that Texas declared independence from Mexico. Essentially, it was a tequila take on the rye-based 1794 created by Dominic Venegas while at Range in San Francisco. When John made me the 1836, I was amused that it looked practically like the variation, the 1795, that bartender Ted Gallager made almost a year ago. With the change from the 1794's rye, John felt that the drink still needed some barrel-aged notes, so he picked an añejo tequila to round out the drink.
The 1836 began with an aroma of Campari, Carpano Antica, and orange oil. The taste was a semi-sweet grape sip that was chased by a drying wave of Campari and agave notes. Lastly, the chocolate notes from the mole bitters lingered as a pleasing aftertaste.