smoking gun

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz Aquavit (Linie)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, double strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a fresh cucumber slice. Two Mondays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and looked for a recipe to celebrate my garden's first cucumber of the season. There, I landed on the Smoking Gun by Gabriel D'Alessandro at London's Satan's Whiskers in 2025. The bar's Instagram had a slightly different ratio of 1 oz mezcal, 1/2 oz aquavit, and 2/3 oz for both the lemon juice and simple, but I used the app's recipe better suited to American jiggers. While I have had a few mezcal-cucumber drinks like the Mexican Razor Blade and the Disco Nap, the only aquavit-cucumber recipe that I have tried is the Balsa Raft at Vandaag, a Manhattan bar that focused on Genever and aquavit. Gabriel recommended on Instagram, "If you can get hold of Aalborg Dild Aquavit, the dill freshness sets things off nicely." With Linie Aquavit though, the Smoking Gun revealed itself with a vegetal, cucumber, and caraway aroma. Next, lemon coupled with a greenness on the sip delved into vegetal, smoke, cucumber, and spice notes on the swallow.

shotgun wedding

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice (* see text), and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays prior, I fired up the The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and opted for the Shotgun Wedding by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2022. The combination seemed familiar for it appeared with Scotch and a much lower quotient of apricot liqueur in Held in Contempt also created at Attaboy. In the glass, the Shotgun Wedding prodded the nose with a lemon, apricot, and vegetal aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the Ciociaro blossomed into smoky vegetal and bitter orange-apricot flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. As the ice melted, the drink began to fall apart as the flavors subsided, and perhaps this would be better served up in a coupe; this did not happen in the whisky-based Held in Contempt, so perhaps this was due to the lighter-style mezcal that I utilized.

pigeon park

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with Ardbeg Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year), and garnish with orange oil from a flamed twist (unflamed, twist included). My rediscovery of Pimm's No. 1 led me to search the Kindred Cocktails database where I landed on the Pigeon Park by Martin Corriveau at La Pentola in Vancouver circa 2013. Martin created this as a variation on the the Vancouver which is a recipe that I made around 5 years ago from William Boothby's 1934 World Drinks & How to Mix Them with gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and orange bitters. Martin explained, "I wanted something slightly herbaceous to highlight the subtle herbal aroma of the mezcal, and Pimm's No.1 felt like the perfect choice because it wasn't very sweet, and being made from gin, it echoed the original Vancouver Cocktail, which was essentially a Martinez with Benedictine instead of Maraschino. Pigeon Park is a little square in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside where the homeless and junkies hang out or just take a nap. Still Vancouver, even though it doesn't look anything like a postcard photo, yet not without charm either." Once assembled, the Pigeon Park gave forth an orange, peat smoke, and red fruit aroma. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip slid into vegetal, smoke, bitter herbal, berry, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

electric circus

1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins' Fancy)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. After spotting a rye drink on a menu that had Cynar and Montenegro as modifiers, I realized that it was similar to what I enjoyed in the Tio Amargo with Demerara rum. I was inspired to swap the base to a split of mezcal and pineapple rum which I discovered in the Hunter Thompson and utilized a few times before such as in the Cannibal Cove last Fall. For a name, I dubbed this one the Electric Circus after the 1960s New York City nightclub with a variety of performers often associated with Andy Warhol that I read about in the St. Marks Is Dead book. From 1967 to 1971, the Electric Circus incorporated the big top aspect with everything from jugglers, mimes, trapeze artists, and body painting, and added in other performances like psychadelic multi-projector audiovisual shows and bands like The Velvet Underground, The Grateful Dead, and Sly & the Family Stone. One quote about the establishment caught my curiosity with, "Like Woodstock, if you remembered much of what happened at the E.C., you weren't really there." In the glass, the Electric Circus sprang forth with an orange, tropical, and smoke aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip evolved into rum, pineapple, tangerine, vegetal, smoke, and clove flavors on the swallow.

maiden voyage

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Convite Essencial)
1/2 oz Fino Sherry (Lustau Manzanilla)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Maiden Voyage by Brandon Bramhall at Charleston's Last Saint circa 2023. This one was different from the more tropical Maiden Voyage and is instead a bitter herbal stirred number; moreover, it shares more similarity with the Afterword with lime and sparkling wine in place of dry sherry. Once mixed, the Maiden Voyage sailed off to the senses with a lemon, honey, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, honey and caramel notes on the sip developed into smoky vegetal, herbal, and tangerine flavors on the swallow.

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.

contemporary art

1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Fridays prior, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and opted for the Contemporary Art crafted by Zack Gelnaw-Rubin at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2022. Its trio of Amontillado sherry, orgeat, and lemon juice have worked well in drinks like the Orientation with Cognac, and I utilized it well in my Sherry Mai Tai, so I was curious to experience the combination with mezcal. Once mixed, the Contemporary Art showcased a smoke, vegetal, and nutty aroma. Next, a creamy lemon and grape sip blossomed into smoky, vegetal, almond, and savory flavors on the swallow.

pleasure island

1 1/2 oz House Barrel-Aged Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum (Unaged)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz BG Reynolds Don's Spice No. 2 (1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup + 1/4 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice (*)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a decorative mug, and top with crushed ice. Garnish with mint (3 sprigs), bitters (Angostura), and fire (omit).
(*) My Don's Spices No. 2 combination was probably not as sweet as BG Reynolds' syrup, so perhaps a 1/4 oz of simple or dropping the lime to 1/2 oz might balance this drink a little better (a bit booze-forward with the 126° rum). With my mint patch beginning to fill out, two Friday ago I looked through the recipe list that I had saved up during the off season. The one that caught my eye first was the Pleasure Island by Ryan Lobe of Rumba in Seattle for the 2015 Iron Tiki Tender competition that I sourced from the Cocktail Wonk blog. Ryan described, "The name is inspired by the island in the book Pinocchio where all the bad boys go to drink and smoke." The pairing of apricot and allspice dram worked rather well in the Firebreak, Decadence & Elegance, and other drinks, so I was curious to give it a go here. In the mug, the Pleasure Island awakened the senses with mint, clove, and allspice aromas. Next, lime and apricot notes on the sip flowed into funky rum, vegetal, smoke, vanilla, allspice, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

obvious choice

1 oz Mezcal (Convite Esencial)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/8 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (omit). Two Fridays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and happened upon the Obvious Choice by Matty Clark at Dutch Kills in New York City. The recipe has the agave spirit, lime, cinnamon, and passion fruit components of the Easy Out but with mezcal and Amontillado instead of tequila and Amaro Montenegro, so I was intrigued. Once prepared, the Obvious Choice showcased vegetal, smoke, nutty, and cinnamon aromas to the nose. Next, lime and grape on the sip developed into smoky agave, passion fruit, nutty grape, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

pied piper

1 oz Mezcal (Convite Esencial)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1 oz Amaro Meletti
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. The final drink that I had prepared in advance for the bartenders' guild national meeting in Philadelphia was the Pied Piper that I uncovered through online recipe flashcards from Attaboy. The build reminded me of the rum-based Globetrotter from the Waldorf-Astoria, so I was game to try this one out with mezcal. To the nose, the Pied Piper played a melody of lemon, caramel, vegetal, smoke, nutty, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip flowed into smoky vegetal, herbal, nutty, floral, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

jovencourt daiquiri

2 oz Barbancourt White Rhum (110°)
1/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Sundays ago, I traveled to the USBG Bar Summit in Philadelphia, so I had three nights of cocktails prepared in advance. The first of these was the Jovencourt Daiquiri invented by Phil Ward at Death & Co. in Manhattan as published in the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book. Phil commented, "This cocktail was my first epiphany about using mezcal in a mixed drink," and he noted that while it is very common now, no one was doing it much in 2007 when he created this. Also of note was back then until very recently, the unaged Barbancourt was at a lower strength (86° versus 110°). The concept reminds me of the rhum agricole-mezcal Daiquiri with maple that I crafted called Miracles Take Longer especially given how grassy and funky the unaged Barbancourt is (less so in the 8 Year that I have been more familiar with). Once prepared, the Jovencourt Daiquiri generated a grassy and vegetal funk aroma. Next, a lime-driven sip gave way to grassy, smoky, and vegetal flavors on the swallow with a lime finish.

as you were

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Valdespino Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a grapefruit disk and a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and from their Fall 2021 menu, I was drawn in to the As You Were that was described as an "End of the night agave Manhattan". The idea of agave spirits, sweet vermouth, and Pedro Ximenez sherry was one that I enjoyed in the Stage Dives & Fist Fights created at the Last Word in San Antonio, so it was time to mix this one up. In the glass, the As You Were began with grapefruit, raisin, cherry, and smoky vegetal aromas. Next, a semi-sweet grape sip flowed into smoky vegetal, raisin, herbal, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

yabbadabbado

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Convite Especial)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup
Strawberries (2 medium)

Muddle strawberries, add the rest, shake with ice, and double strain into a coupe. Two Tuesdays prior, I looked at my list of drinks garnered from the Attaboy online recipe flashcards, and I zoomed in on the Yabbadabbado. The rabarbaro-strawberry combination was one that I enjoyed greatly in the King Vittorio's Cobbler at Cure in 2011 (and renamed King's Cobbler in the Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em book), so I looked forward to trying it in this The Flintstones-themed drink. In the glass, the Yabbadabbado opened up with roast, vegetal, smoke, and red berry aromas. Next, lime, roast, and a hint of red fruit notes on the sip swayed into mezcal, honey, herbal, and strawberry flavors on the swallow.

sleeping tiger

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a cayenne pepper-Demerara sugar (1:4) rim, and garnish with a lime wheel (omit) and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Two Sundays ago, I returned to Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails book and spotted the Sleeping Tiger from Louis 649 in Manhattan that I had neglected to make over the years. This was Louis 649's most popular cocktail, and a year after they closed in 2014, the bar Mace opened in that spot. The concept with the honey-ginger aspect reminded me of agave Penicillin riffs like the Little Branch Cocktail perhaps crossed with mezcal-honey-cayanne recipes like the Dahlia's Revenge and my Lupe Velez. Once mixed, the Sleeping Tiger awoke with a pineapple, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, honey, and lime notes on the sip stretched into smoky mezcal, pineapple, and ginger flavors on the swallow with a hint of pepper spice.

smoking jacket

1 oz Mezcal (Convite Esencial)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for King Bee in Austin and landed on the Smoking Jacket. The site Austin Pedal Party mentioned the drink in a bar review and showcased it in a menu photo around the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 timeframe. This one joins the two other Smoking Jackets on the blog, namely Bergamot's and Death & Co.'s, but this is the only one to use mezcal instead of Scotch. Overall, the combination was rather similar to the Bordertown with different proportions and garnish and without bitters added. Once prepared, the Smoking Jacket gave forth a grapefruit, roasted vegetable, and smoke aroma. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip opened up into vegetal, smoky, dried fruit, bitter orange, and spice flavors on the swallow.

fire lily

1 1/2 oz Ford's Gin
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Thai Chili Firewater Tincture (3 dash my Hellfire Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I turned to the Martini section of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and I was drawn in by the Fire Lily that was created by Eric Alperin at The Varnish in Los Angeles as perhaps a riff on the Water Lily from Little Branch. Eric converted the Sour into a smoky and spicy Martini-style drink, but given the straight spirits nature, it slightly reminded me of the White Lily too. It also gave me a reason to use my bottle of violette for the second time that week that I had not dusted off since I made the Final Say last summer. Once prepared, the Fire Lily lept off with an orange, vegetal, floral, and pine aroma. Next, a hint of orange on the sip blossomed into gin, smoke vegetal, floral orange, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

best friend

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Convite Especial)
1/2 oz Campari
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a dehydrated pineapple wheel (omit). Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make the Best Friend by Karl Steuck for the opening menu at the Condor Bar in the Hotel El Roblar. I found the recipe in a set of online recipe flashcards for the bar, and my search uncovered the recipe in a 2025 article in Food & Wine. The Best Friend read like a Gilda Cocktail meeting a mezcal Jungle Bird, so it seemed worthy of a try. As I mentioned in my Palenque Punch yesterday, my trick of swapping the simple syrup for cinnamon in the mezcal version of the parallel Mr. Bali Hai (to add depth of flavor lost in transitioning to an unaged spirit as well as adding complementary notes) was also something that Karl figured out as well. Once prepared, the Best Friend greeted the nose with a pineapple, cinnamon, and vegetal aroma. Next, pineapple and lime notes on the sip blossomed into smoky vegetal, bitter orange-pineapple, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

palenque punch

1 oz Convite Una Mezcal
1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
1/2 oz Luxardo Espresso Liqueur
1/2 oz Acidified Pineapple Juice (*)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup (1:1)

Build over ice and stir. I batched and poured over ice. While developing the recipe, it actually tasted rather good undiluted at room temperature too.
(*) Pineapple juice was acidified with 6% citric acid (94 grams pineapple to 6 grams citric). Skipping the acidification and replacing with 1/2 oz regular pineapple juice + 1/2 oz lemon juice would work well. In late February, the Hotaling Company reached out to see if I would represent Convite Mezcal and Luxardo at Speed Rack in late March. I was asked to create the drink and run the booth as I was one of the lucky bartenders to spend several days down in Oaxaca with the Convite team where I gave a master class to local bartenders, answered questions, and did guest bartending shifts during my session in January 2023. For a recipe that I presented two weeks ago, I utilized the Convite Una Mezcal (that also benefits breast cancer charities like Speed Rack does) as well as their suggestion of using Luxardo Bitter Bianco. When they sent me some samples including Luxardo's Espresso Liqueur, I became inspired to make something akin to the Mr. Bali Hai. When I have done mezcal variations of that tropical drink, I have utilized cinnamon instead of plain simple syrup to provide complementary flavors and add a bit or roundness to the unaged spirit. As I was batching 150 full-sized portions at just shy of 16 liters, I went with an acidified pineapple juice instead of sourcing fruit and preparing 75-80 ounces of fresh lemon juice. It also made the mix shelf stable at room temperature so I could prep it a day in advance and not worry about refrigeration. Overall, it was a success. Midway through the event, folks were coming up to the booth by way of word of mouth that they needed to try this, and one patron even returned to tell me that my drink was the best of the night and asked for a second helping. Since I had a little left over from the event, I decided to make it my nightcap and prepared tasting notes. In the glass, the Palenque Punch began with a cinnamon, espresso roast, and pineapple aroma. Next, the roast and pineapple elements continued on into the sip where they were chased by smoky vegetal flavors blending into bitter herbal ones that lead into coffee and cinnamon notes on the swallow.

bow & arrow

1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. Two Fridays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Bow & Arrow by Scott Teague at Dutch Kills circa 2015. The recipe reminded me of a split base Gilda Cocktail from Death & Co.; Scott would have been familiar with the Gilda from having worked at Death & Co. a few years after Brian Miller created it in 2009. In the glass, the Bow & Arrow shot forth with a vegetal, cinnamon, pineapple, and smoke aroma. Next, a lime-driven sip landed on Bourbon, vegetal agave, pineapple, and cinnamom flavors on the swallow.

cactus fly

3/4 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass. The recipe said no garnish, but I opted for a piece of candied ginger on a pick like this drink's siblings. Two Saturdays ago, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcards for the Long Island Bar in Brooklyn where I sourced the Electric Mayhem. The drink I selected was the Cactus Fly that was akin to the Mosquito with Campari and the Dragonfly with Braulio, but here with Sfumato. Since mezcal and Sfumato are a great pairing such as in the Oakland, Tarantula, and other cocktails, I prepared this one right away. In the glass, the Cactus Fly gave forth a vegetal, roast, smoke, and ginger aroma. Next, lemon and roast notes on the sip slid into vegetal, ginger, roast, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a smoky finish.