better & better

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/4 oz Falernum (1/2 oz Velvet)

Build in a rocks glass, add a large ice cube, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Fridays ago, I began Eric Alperin's Unvarnished book, and for a drink that night, I skipped ahead to the recipe section. There, I was drawn in by the simplicity of Jan Warren's Old Fashioned called Better & Better that utilized mezcal with some funky Jamaican rum as the spirit and countered it with falernum as both the sweetener and the spice. In the glass, the Better & Better donated a bright lemon oil over mezcal smoke and caramel-y rum funk on the nose. Next, a hint of caramel on the sip transferred to smoky vegetal mezcal, funky rum, lime, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.