pearl of puebla

2 oz Sombra Mezcal
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 barspoon Ricard Pastis (1/8 oz Henri Bardouin)
1 barspoon Agave Nectar (1/8 oz)
4 sprig Fresh Oregano

Muddle the oregano with agave nectar. Add rest of ingredients and ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass.

Wednesday last week, we began the night with the Pearl of Puebla from the PDT Cocktail Book. Bartenders Jim Meehan and Euclides López created the drink in 2008 as a Mexican rendition of Audrey Saunder's French Pearl. Jim and Euclides utilized two staples of Mexican cuisine, namely mezcal and oregano. With our oregano patch not only being back for the season but spreading across the garden and into our neighbor's yard, the Pearl of the Puebla seemed like a great excuse to reduce the oregano's reign on the garden.
The drink presented an anise and herbal aroma along with the mezcal notes. The lime sip possessed a fresh green herb flavor, and the swallow offered up the mezcal and a complementary pairing of oregano and Yellow Chartreuse.