kekua

1 1/2 oz Avuá Cachaça
1/2 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a spritz of Chichicapa Mezcal.

For my second drink at Backbar, I asked bartender Sam Treadway for the Kekua. Sam described how this was Joe Cammarata's creation where he crossed Ben Sandrof's Esmeralda with Josie Packard's Prosecutor. In searching for a name, Joe google-searched "Esmeralda" and spotted that it was the name of the female character in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. That got him to thinking about the Notre Dame football team, and how linebacker Manti Te'o faced adversity with the death of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, during the 2012 season. The story got a lot of press for the wonderful concept of powering through a game despite the grief, and it received even more press when it was discovered that the girlfriend was imaginary. This drink was real though... I swear!
The Kekua offered grassy and smoke aromas before giving way to a dry lime sip that shared a vague fruit note from the St. Germain. Next, the swallow began with a grassy and herbal combination that was followed by a floral and mineral finish.