saddle up!

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Averna
1/4 oz Passion Fruit (Passion Fruit Syrup)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and became intrigued by the Saddle Up! by Kathryn "Pepper" Stashek at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2019. I was lured in by the Averna-passion fruit syrup combination that I enjoyed in the Permanent Holiday and as well as in the African Queen when I utilized passion fruit syrup instead of liqueur. Once mixed, the Saddle Up! gave forth an orange, smoke, and roasted vegetal aroma. Next, caramel and tropical notes on the sip rode into roast agave, smoke, herbal, and tangy orange flavors on the swallow. As the ice melted over time, the drink became more passion fruit driven.