castaneda's companions

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe that was flamed with a spritz of absinthe (rinse with 8 drop St. George, unflamed).Two Fridays ago, I decided to make Castaneda's Companions created at Wood Hill Table in Concord, Massachusetts, circa 2021 that I uncovered through a set of online recipe flashcards. The combination of agave spirit, Cynar, and Yellow Chartreuse was one that worked amazingly well in Under the Volcano, so I was curious to see how it worked as a straight spirits instead of citrus-laden drink. The restaurant's Instagram described, "Castaneda's Companion is named for Mexican philosopher Carlos Castaneda. It is said that Castaneda and three women took peyote together and lived in a tree house. Each ingredient represents each person: the mezcal represents Castaneda and the Cynar, Yellow Chartreuse, and dry vermouth represent each of the women. The barrel it is stored in represents the treehouse that they lived in." I was familiar with Castaneda's work through reading parts of his 1968 book The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge many years ago, so I gave this one a try despite not having stored or aged it in a barrel and skipping the flamed step. In the glass, I became aware of Castaneda's Companions with a vegetal, anise, herbal, and smoke bouquet. Next, a lightly caramel and honey-tinged sip opened up to an awareness of vegetal, piney, herbal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.