Two More Mezcal Cocktails

To go with the tacos I wrote about on Monday, here are two more great mezcal cocktails. La Otra Palabra comes from John McEvoy's Holy Smoke! It's Mezcal! book, which I wrote about recently. This a great cocktail for showing how well mezcal goes with yellow chartreuse. The other drink, which I saw on the Imbibe website, shows how well mezcal goes with amari and spicy flavors. The original recipe calls for Cynar; I used Averna--both are good examples of Italian amari.

La Otra Palabra
Adapted from Eric Alperin's recipe, as used in Holy Smoke! It's Mezcal! by John McEvoy

2 oz. mezcal joven (I used Del Maguey Vida mezcal)
1/4 oz. yellow Chartreuse
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 oz. agave nectar
1 tsp. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Maraschino cherry, garnish

Combine mezcal, Chartreuse, lime juice, agave and maraschino liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until cold, then strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with cherry.

Red Brick Kitchen's Mezcal Cocktail
Adapted from a recipe by Peter Landrum, Red Brick Kitchen & Bar in Dexter, Michigan that appeared on Imbibe's website

1 1/4 oz. mezcal joven (I used Del Maguey Vida mezcal)
1/4 oz. Averna amaro (the original recipe called for Cynar)
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice, from 1/2 freshly cut lemon
1/2 oz. agave nectar
2 dashes of orange bitters
Smoked sea salt
Aleppo pepper flakes

Combine mezcal, Averna, lemon juice, agave and orange bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Run the spent lemon rind around the rim of the glass to moisten it. Spread the smoked salt and Aleppo pepper on a plate and rum the moistened rim of the glass through the mixture to make a spicy-salty rim on the glass. Fill the glass with ice, then strain the drink into the glass.