mayor joe

1 1/2 oz Pig's Nose Scotch
1/2 oz Zucca Amaro
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass, fill with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.
As part of menu development at La Brasa, I was inspired by the honey-rabarbaro combination that worked so well in the Shipwrecked. Our bar's blended Scotch sadly gets neglected save for except at weddings, and I thus recalled how well rabarbaros like Zucca pair with Scotch such as in the Caustic Negroni. The rest fell into place as I used lemon juice to cut the sweetness, and Angostura and Peychaud's Bitters to donate darker and brighter levels of bitter herbal complexity and spice, respectively. For a name, I dubbed it after Somerville's mayor, Joe Curtatone, although Joe is more of an Averna guy from the times that I have served him elsewhere in town. Once prepared, the final iteration (*) of the Mayor Joe funded the nose with lemon, honey, and smoky aromas. Next, lemon, honey, and malt collaborated on the sip, and the swallow was an elegant presentation of Scotch and dark herbal flavors.

(*) One direction that I took was with cinnamon syrup instead of honey with the Zucca, but I found the original's honey to be more delightful with the Scotch.

quetzal

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
3/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/8 oz Campari
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a grapefruit twist (or lime wheel).

Recently, I was tasked at work to develop a mezcal Paloma riff served in a coupe for the new menu at La Brasa, so two Wednesdays ago, I decided to tinker. I latched onto the idea of the Tiki staple Don's Mix of grapefruit and cinnamon and then considered how well cinnamon and Campari pair such as in the Rum Firewalker. The end result was tasty, but it felt like a touch of bitters would give the profile a lot more depth; my instinct was to go to absinthe but I opted for Peychaud's Bitters instead. For a name, I went with the idea of the Paloma translating to dove, and I went with another indigenous Mexican bird: the Quetzal. The Quetzal has been long admired for its beauty and the bird was sacred to the Mayans and Aztecs.
The Quetzal flew to the nose with a smoke, grapefruit, and cinnamon aroma. Next, a grapefruit and lime sip gave way to a smoky mezcal and bitter herbal swallow with a cinnamon finish.

fort francais

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1 oz La Favorite Rhum Agricole Ambre
1 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/8 oz Benedictine
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

On a cold, windy Tuesday two weeks back, I walked down Broadway in Somerville on my way to the Brewer's Fork in Charlestown for dinner. On the way, I passed by La Brasa and decided that it would be the perfect half-way spot for a nightcap on the walk home after pizza and beer at the Fork. Post dinner, I stuck to my game plan and took a respite from the brutal weather and found warmth and a seat in front of bartender Rob Hoover. For a drink, I requested the Fort Français which was Ryan Sullivan's French ingredient riff on a Vieux Carré.
The Fort Français shared a caramel and orange aroma that was brightened by the fresh citrus oils. The caramel continued on into the sip, and the swallow presented grassy rhum, rich brandy, and herbal orange flavors with a spice-driven finish. While a touch sweeter than a Vieux Carré, the orange liqueur and structure maintained a solid early 1900s feel to it.