sidewinder

1 1/2 oz El Tesoro Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 pinch Salt

Swizzle with crushed ice in a Highball glass. Top with more crushed ice, garnish with mint sprigs, and add a straw.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Kenmore Square to visit the Hawthorne. For a starter, bartender Ryan Lotz recommended his take on the Sidewinder he found in the new Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. The drink was created by Brent Butler of the Blackbird in San Francisco; I wrote about Brent's Cortez the Killer around a month ago. Ryan's version on the drink was to double the mezcal quotient and remove the ginger beer aspect from the recipe.
The Sidewinder's mint garnish contributed greatly to the Swizzle's aroma. A sweet lime sip transitioned into a tequila swallow that ended with vanilla and bitter Campari notes. At first, the drink was not overly smoky from the mezcal or bitter from the Campari; I attributed this to the salt cutting back on these notes while Ryan suggested that it was the vanilla's mellowing effect. Later, the ice melt's dilution made the drink taste more smokey and agave driven.