behind the scenes

1 1/2 oz Banhez Mezcal (Convite)
1/2 oz Torino Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Amargo de Chili (Ancho Reyes)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 drop Hellfire Bitters (Homemade)

Stir with ice and strain into a snifter glass with one cube (old fashioned glass with a large ice cube). Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago and landed on the Behind the Scenes from the Winter 2022 menu that was described as "mezcal Vieux Carré-ish". Since I have had the combination of mezcal, sweet vermouth, and chili liqueur with bitter liqueurs like Campari in the Bordertown and Ciociaro in the Leatherman, Yellow Chartreuse seemed like it would do well here. Stirred and strained, the Behind the Scenes donated a minty herbal, roasted vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip revealed smoky mezcal, dried vegetal, honey, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.