caballero del mar

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Aged Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Combier)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

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

Two Wednesdays ago, I recalled how much I enjoyed my Martini riff Enjoy the Silence. My brain was also thinking about the tequila version of the mezcal drink Tainted Love, the Monopoly Money, that made it on to the regular menu (Tainted Love was only on the Yacht Rock Sundays menu); with that recipe, I focused in on how well tequila and apricot liqueur both complemented Swedish punsch. I also returned to the 3:1 split spirit formula with the minor component being apple brandy as I considered drinks like Everyone Wants to Rule the World and Spanish Caravan that brought the two spirits together.
For a name, I honed in on the spirit from Jalisco and dubbed this one after a curious statue in Puerto Vallarta of a boy with a cowboy hat riding a seahorse. The Caballero del Mar greeted the senses with a lemon oil, apple, and agave aroma. Next, a dry white wine sip with a hint of fruit led into tequila, apple, apricot, and black tea on the swallow with a chocolate finish.