dead drop

1 1/4 oz Los Vecinos Mezcal
3/4 oz St. James Rhum Agricole
3/8 oz Cocchi Americano
3/8 oz Agave Nectar (*)
1 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
(*) My recipe notes say agave syrup, but uncut agave nectar would balance this drink better.As I was finishing up my Space Pirates drink at Backbar, I overheard bartender Anthony Brocatto describing the bartender's whim that he was serving to guests a few seats down. What caught my attention was that he mixed rhum agricole and mezcal together that I first learned about in The Wilhelm Scream and that I had great success with in drinks like Up Jumped the Devil and Miracles Take Longer. So for my second drink, I added a "me too"; while the creation did not have a name yet, I dubbed this one Dead Drop after one of Anthony's band's EPs. Once prepared, the Dead Drop proffered smoke, earthy, and grassy aromas. Next, lime with a hint of orchard fruit on the sip fell into grassy, vegetal, and mineral flavors on the swallow with a smoke and fruit finish.