lechuza

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Drambuie and banana liqueur combination in The Goodwill that I made the week before. I swapped its rye and lemon for mezcal and lime, and accented the drink with Peychaud's Bitters. For a name, I was inspired by Backbar's cryptid menu, and I dubbed this the Lechuza after the shapeshifting witch of Mexico – a person-sized bird with a human face. In the glass, the Lechuza flew to the nose with smoke on top of caramelized fruit and vegetable aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes transformed into smoky mezcal, honey, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. The result ended up being a more complex, spirit forward, and fruity version of the Crush on a Bartender shooter that I crafted for a Thursday Drink Night on Mixoloseum back in 2012.