agave snake

1 oz El Buho Mezcal
1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Agave Syrup (1:1)
1 dash Soy Sauce
1 dash Brooklyn Hemispherical's Sriracha Bitters
1 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in agave syrup. Shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass.

A few Sundays ago, we paid a visit to Backbar. For a drink, bar manager Sam Treadway suggested that I try the upcoming Drink of the Week in honor of the Chinese New Year. The drink was unnamed then, but Sam knew that he wanted pay tribute to the Year of the Water Snake, and later he dubbed it the Agave Snake after the mezcal in the recipe. The drink was served then with a cucumber-infused agave syrup, but Sam was able to quickly replicate the flavor with a muddling step.
The Agave Snake's nose was rather savory with hints of agave and later cucumber. The lime and grape sip was followed by the swallow that began with the mezcal, followed by the cucumber and nutty sherry, and ended with a little heat from the Sriracha Bitters.