end of the road

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Zucca (Sfumato)
3/4 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
2 dash Lemon Bitters (Berg & Hauck)

Build in a rocks glass, add a large ice cube, and stir to mix and chill.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make another recipe that I had spotted in the online collection of flashcards from the Paper Plane in Atlanta. That one was the End of the Road that appeared on their Winter 2013-2014 menu and was distinct from Chris McMillian's End of the Road that appears in Beta Cocktails. Instead, this one reminded me a little more of Maks Pazuniak's Last Mechanical Art with the equal parts mezcal, Cynar, secondary bitter liqueur, and fortified wine components. Once prepared, the End of the Road provided a roast and bitter vegetal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip halted at smoky, herbal, vegetal, and nutty flavors on the swallow.