oaxacan lady

3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I was inspired to riff on Eastern Standard's Spanish Lady that I tried almost a week earlier. I felt that the Montenegro aspect was too bright and that perhaps switching from a light bodied rum to smoky mezcal could help balance that. Part of my thinking was that mezcal and Montenegro go amazingly well together in the 50:50 shooter, the M&M. I also swapped the original's lemon juice and Angostura Bitters to lime juice and molé bitters. What I dubbed the Oaxacan Lady began with vegetal, smoke, and caramel aromas. Next, lime, citrus, and caramel notes on the sip danced into smoky agave, clementine, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.