the brave

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Averna
1/4 oz Royal Combier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)

Build in a wine glass, give a quick stir without ice, and garnish with 3 spritzes Angostura Bitters (6 drops along the inside edge of the glass) and a flamed orange twist. Note: this is a room temperature drink.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to remake Bobby Heugel's The Brave from the Anvil in Houston the right way. The first time I tried to make this 2009 era agave-based room temperature drink, I sourced it from a mezcal brand's website back in April 2015 that incorrectly included pineapple juice in the mix. Bobby wrote me on Instagram and pointed out the error, and I alerted the brand to fix their page. I ended up dubbing the pineapple-laden blunder the Soldadera, and I wrote it up on the blog since the mistake was rather tasty for pineapple played well with many of the ingredients. Using the proper recipe that I sourced from Punch, the Brave launched off with a caramel, cinnamon, and orange aroma. Next, caramel and orange notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow proffered smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors. The duo of Averna and orange liqueur pleasantly reminded me of the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.'s Crooklyn that inspired me to create the Devil's Staircase.