destreza

1 oz Mezcal Amaras
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz Baska Snaps Malort

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Sundays ago, I decided to riff on a light digestif of 4 parts Lillet and 1 part each of Malört and orange liqueur and convert it into a mezcal drink. The idea was to craft a White Lucien Gaudin type of drink in the style of a White Negroni. I felt that the Malört would be complemented by mezcal but before I could make it that way, I did make for a guest as a gin variation. When I did give it a go, the vegetalness of the agave as well as the smoke really tied the combination together for me.
I dubbed the recipe the Destreza after the Iberian school of fencing to keep with the Lucien Gaudin theme. On the nose, the Destreza shared orange, earthy, and smoke notes that led into a light peachy and orange sip. Next, the swallow offered agave, smoke, bitter orange, and light lingering wormwood notes. Indeed, the sweetness of the orange liqueur and the complementary vegetal notes in the mezcal seemed to keep the Malört in check.