xocula

1 1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Add straws and garnish with an orange twist.

The other drink I had at Sarma was another of bartender Vikram Hedge's creations called Xocula. The recipe started as a Negroni variation and he had to switch the proportions from an equal parts one to an amaro-forward 3:2:1 one to make it work. When Vik tested this recipe and others out during a guest night at the Hawthorne, he provided Jackson Cannon with this name; Jackson replied by putting as a subtitle on the menu something along the lines of "now you're just making things up" since he did not understand the reference. Vik explained that while the Negroni is named after Count Camillo Negroni, this one is named after his favorite count -- the cereal one.
The Xocula began with an orange oil and smokey agave aroma. The grape from the sherry filled the sip, and the swallow began with the mezcal and ended with nutty, herbal, chocolate, and orange notes.