bordertown

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1 dash Smoked Bitters (Crude "Pooter" Smoke & Salt)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange coin twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing my list of recipes that I had garnered from online flashcards, and I landed on the Bordertown at Alley Twenty Six in Durham, North Carolina, for their Negroni Week 2022 menu. The Bordertown had the mezcal, chile pepper liqueur, and Campari of Raines Law Room's Comanche Club, so I was intrigued. Once prepared, it presented an orange, roasted pepper-vegetal, and smoky aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip from the vermouth crossed over into smoky agave, spicy pepper, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.