too weird to live, too rare to die

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Branca Menta
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Mondays ago, I returned to Seattle Cocktails by Neil Ratliff to make a strange Branca Menta recipe. That drink was the Too Weird to Live, To Rare to Die by Dave Flatman and Kraig Rovensky at The Old Sage that they created due to their shared love of Branca Menta as a riff on the Last Word. The combination first reminded me of the Accidental Hipster with the Fernet ingredient and Maraschino in an equal parts number, and later it made me recall the Alligator Monday with the mezcal and Branca Menta. Here, the cocktail began with mint, smoke, and roasted vegetable aromas. Next, lime, caramel, and a hint of cherry on the sip flowed into smoky agave, mint, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.