in vida veritas

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Nux Alpina
3/4 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-aged Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

A few Tuesdays ago, we stopped in at Brick & Mortar after dinner for a nightcap. The drink I asked Kenny Belanger for was a new menu item, the In Vida Veritas. Obviously a pun on the classic "in wine [there is the] truth" which is appropriate given Misty Kalkofen's adoration of Vida and other mezcals.
The In Vida Veritas offered an orange and herbal aroma to me and an orange, walnut, and mezcal aroma to Andrea. The sip's caramel notes were followed by mezcal, pine, and herbal flavors on the swallow and a cinnamon-tinged finish.Furthermore, as the drink warmed up, the finish gained a mint accent from the Benedictine. Overall, I was impressed at how well the Zirbenz and mezcal paired, and they seemed to complement the other's prickly edges such that there was a stone pine and agave synergy.