pin(head)s and needles

1 1/4 oz Ilegal Reposado Mezcal
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Zirbenz Liqueur
1/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/4 oz Cherry Heering

Torch a plank of cedar and overturn a coupe to be smoked. Stir with ice, turn over the coupe, strain into that coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I ran an errand in Union Square, Somerville, so I stopped into Backbar for a drink. There, I became enraptured by the Pin(head)s & Needles from their special Halloween cocktail menu. Bartender Liz Pittari was inspired by the 1987 film Hellraiser, and the menu item was subtitled "Pine & smoke, pleasure & pain beyond your imagination." The mezcal, Punt e mes, and Cherry Heering combination reminded me of the Another Sunken Boat but here with bitter pine notes from the Braulio and Zirbenz. Once mixed, the Pin(head)s & Needles stalked the nose with dark cherry, smoke, and vegetal aromas. Next, grape and dark fruit on the sip siezed on to smoky, vegetal, bitter, and pine flavors on the swallow.