el chapo

2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a pilsner glass (Tiki mug), and garnish with a piece of pineapple or a pineapple frond (chocolate mint sprigs). Two Tuesdays ago, I peered into Chad Austin's Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book and spotted the El Chapo which was his first mezcal tropical drink. It was a different El Chapo from the one I made from the A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book, and this one contained the honey, grenadine, lime, and spice core that I enjoyed in the South Seas Sleepwalker. In the mug with my alternative garnish, El Chapo proffered a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, honey, and pineapple notes on the sip led into smoky mezcal, berry, vegetal, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.