gail collins

1 1/4 Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Sloe Gin
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Top with ~3 oz soda water and stir. Garnish with a lemon twist and add a straw.

Two Sundays ago on the way home from dinner at Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain, we stopped into Brick & Mortar for a drink. On the highball section of the menu was Misty Kalkofen's tribute to the New York Times' op-ed columnist Gail Collins. Misty described how the drink was originally created a few years ago as a tequila recipe; in switching to mezcal, she had to reduce the spirits volume from 1 1/2 to 1 1/4 oz to maintain the same balance.
The wide lemon twist contributed greatly to the drink's aroma. The sip presented the citrus and the sloe gin's berry notes, and the swallow started with the smoky mezcal and ended with Maraschino. Indeed, the sloe gin in the sip and the Maraschino in the swallow provided a pleasing transition that held the drink together.