pan-european pandemonium

1 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Manzanilla Sherry

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top.

Two Mondays ago, I decided to venture by subway and foot to the South End to pay Sahil Mehta at Estragon a visit. For a first drink, Sahil mentioned that he remembered my curiousity about the Pan-European Pandemonium the last time I peered into his drink notebook and suggested that I start with that. The combination of Drambuie, agave, Cynar, and sherry were ones that I have found to pair rather well together in various drinks, but here they were all in one. My guess that the Mexican aspect of the agave is just part of the pandemonium though.
The Pan-European Pandemonium began with a lemon, smoky, and honey-tinged nose. The Drambuie's honey continued into the sip where it mingled with the sherry's grape flavors. Finally, the swallow offered the smoky mezcal notes with an herbal finish from the Cynar. Indeed, this complex, herbal, and savory drink could go either way as an aperitif or digestif.