soldadera

1 oz Mezcal (Montelobos)
1 oz Blanco Tequila (Piedra Azul)
1/2 oz Averna
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/4 oz Royal Combier (Grand Marnier)

Build in a wine glass and stir to mix without ice. Garnish with 3 mists of Angostura Bitters (glass pre-rinsed with a dash or two) and a flamed orange twist (not flamed). Note: This is a room temperature cocktail.
Two Fridays ago, I specifically bought pineapple juice to make a drink I spotted on the Del Maguey Mezcal site's recipe collection. The drink I was lured in by was Bobby Heugel's The Brave that he created early at Anvil Bar & Refuge and remains on the list to this day. I was partially drawn in to the recipe not just because it was a room temperature cocktail, but one that also included fruit juice in the mix; the only other one I had was the Pequod Sour from the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book. After I made the drink and put it on Instagram, Bobby commented back that the recipe was an error and there was no pineapple juice whatsoever.

The Brave
• 1 oz Mezcal
• 1 oz Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 oz Averna
• 1/4 oz Royal Combier
Build in a wine glass and stir to mix without ice. Garnish with 3 mists of Angostura Bitters and a flamed orange twist. Note: This is a room temperature cocktail.

I was a little dismayed that I had made the wrong drink due to the misprint, but the results were rather delightful especially with how the pineapple worked well to tie together the rich caramel notes of the amaro and the earthy spiciness of the agave spirits as well as soften the spirits' heat. Indeed, the erroneous drink had taken a life of its own. For a name, I kept the concept of "brave" and the Mexican origin of the distillates and dubbed this the Soldadera after the female soldiers who fought alongside the men in the Mexican Revolution. Not to let this fortuitous blunder slip unwritten, here are my tasting notes. The Soldadera began with clove, smoke, and orange oil aromas. Next, the sip offered that great pairing of caramel and pineapple, and the swallow began with smoke, agave, and pineapple flavors, and ended with an orange peel note from the liqueur.