vida rebellion

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 oz Lustau Dry Oloroso Sherry
1 oz Gran Classico
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Last Monday for the 4th of July, Andrea and I spent the day walking through Boston. Our travels eventually took us to the Citizen Public House where bartender Sean Frederick was presiding along with Corey Bunnewith. Andrea commented that it only seemed right to spend the holiday with Sean since he was at the same barbecue that we attended the 4th of July before. For a drink, I picked the Vida Rebellion which was one of bar manager Joy Richard's creations. Sean best described Gran Classico as a boutique version of Campari, and the drink was akin to mezcal Negroni. From past experience, agave products seem to pair up well with sherry, such as in the Bebida de Puebla, and perhaps just as well if not better than with vermouth.
The Vida Rebellion began with an orange and smokey mezcal aroma that contained darker notes from either the sherry or the Gran Classico. While the sip displayed the sherry's grape flavor along with some orange notes, the swallow presented the sherry's nutty notes followed by the mezcal's smoke and a bitter finish. Overall, the Vida Rebellion worked rather well just as similar combinations did in the Rosita, the 1836, and perhaps the Jabuticaba.