tia mia

1 oz Appleton V/X Rum
1 oz Del Maguey Via Mezcal
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1/2 oz Orgeat (BG Reynolds)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with an orchid, pineapple leaf, and either a lime wheel or a sugarcane stick.
Two Tuesdays ago, we started the evening with the Tia Mia from a collection of rum drinks presented by Julie Reiner in World's Best Cocktails. I later discovered that it was not Julie who created this recipe that appeared on the Lani Kai menu, but Ivy Mix who incorporated her love of mezcal into a Mai Tai variation. Moreover, Ivy rearranged the letters of Mai Tai into Tia Mia which means "my aunt" in Spanish. Once mixed, the lime wheel garnish's aroma added to the drink's agave notes. The lime and caramel from the aged rum sip was followed by the rest of the rum notes and the smoky mezcal on the swallow and a soft almond finish.