little jose

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Cynar
1 bsp (1/8 oz) Agave Syrup
1 bsp (1/8 oz) Lime Juice
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Sriracha Hot Sauce (4 thick drops)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass, add a large cube, and garnish with a pinch of salt in the middle of the cube and an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to a set of online flashcards from Backbar in Somerville, MA, and spotted the Little Jose as a riff on the Little Giuseppe. Overall, it was a spicier and less floral mezcal take on that neo-classic than the Carlota's Collapse (which was a hybrid with the Maximilian Affair). In the glass, the Little Jose greeted the nose with orange, smoke, and a darker aroma from the Cynar's caramel and Punt e Mes' grape. Next, the caramel and grape continued on into the sip where they were chased by smoky, vegetal, and spicy flavors on the swallow.