Mezcal Cocktails

One Killer Mezcal Cocktail: The Gardener

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I definitely have not posted many cocktail recipes to the blog. This is a personal failing as I have learned over the years mezcal cocktails are a fantastic way to introduce people to the wonderful world of mezcal. And as I am all about spreading the gospel and mezcal education, I should be more proactive about relaying amazing cocktails. While I’d like to think this will be a new trend, the reality is that it probably will not be! But know my heart is in the right place….

So with that, I bring you an amazing mezcal cocktail which I discovered this summer at Matsuhisa in Vail, CO. Well, it was actually on the cocktail menu made with Hendrick’s Gin. But after chatting with Andreas Harl, the Beverage Director, I ordered it with Ilegal Mezcal instead of Hendrick’s. Andreas, who I have known a number of years, is not a huge mezcal fan, but he does have a particular affection for Ilegal, and it is the only mezcal he carries. Good choice.

The Gardener: And it looks pretty too!

Andreas gave me this recipe and I’ve been making it ever since. Everyone I know who has tried it is simply floored. It is that good. I had a friend over a few weeks ago, who is quite adept on the NYC cocktail scene, and he declared it the best cocktail he’d ever had! So here it is, and Andreas informs me that his colleague Jeff Woods is the original architect of this masterpiece (albeit with gin!). Cheers, Jeff.

The Gardener

Start by making this puree:

60 grams cilantro (basically one bunch but you should weigh it)

25 grams peeled ginger

12 grams serrano pepper

25 ounces simple syrup (half sugar, half water)

Put this all in a blender and fire it up to puree consistency. Then strain it with a fine strainer. I know this sounds like a lot of effort, and you’re right. But this makes a lot of syrup and you can freeze it and use it for months. Once you have the puree, the cocktail is super simple.

2 oz Ilegal Joven

1 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz puree

Put it in a shaker and serve it straight up in a coupe or martini glass.

There you have it. Suck it up and take the time to make the puree. It will be the gift that keeps on giving for months as you work through 30 ounces of this special puree. And as always, drink mezcal!

Mezcal Summer Cocktails: Part 2

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This is a quick note to add one inspiring mezcal cocktail to last week’s post:

My wife and I went into the restaurant Up the Creek in Vail for a date night on Monday.  Our intention was to stop in and have a drink before we went for Sushi.  Now Vail is not a well-known mezcal mecca, but you are starting to see some mezcals around town:  Del Maguey, Sombra, Ilegal, and even one rare Mezcalero sighting at Vin 48 in Avon.

Behind the bar, we spied a bottle of Ilegal Reposado and they even had an associated mezcal cocktail on the drinks list!  Things were looking Up (the Creek)!  We began chatting with the bar manager, Wes Cole, and quickly figured out he had some serious mixology cred.  I asked him what he was making with the Ilegal Repo, and I was soon drinking this gem: (more…)

Mezcal Summer Cocktails

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While the headline is Mezcal Summer Cocktails, in truth, I have never met a cocktail that I loved in the summer, that I did not love in the winter (or the fall or spring).  If it is good, it is good, and I am happy to drink it year-round.  So here are two recent favorites that I have been introduced to that are likely to blow your socks off!

Larkspur Mezcal Margarita

This recipe, as the name suggests, comes from the Larkspur restaurant in Vail, CO.  They were making this (and continue to offer tequila or mezcal) with tequila, and I suggested to them that making this with a mezcal would probably be sublime.  So they did, and it is!  But credit to them for the very original cocktail recipe, and besides, I pretty much think any cocktail tastes better with mezcal!  Here it is: (more…)

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned (slightly reinvented)

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I had the good fortune of being at a cocktail party on Saturday night where mezcal was the featured spirit.  A mezcal party?  You know good things are going to happen and a good time will be had by all.  While many mezcal libations were going around, the highlight of the night for me was a reintroduction to the Oaxaca Old Fashioned.

This cocktail has been written about a fair amount, so I am not trying to beat a dead horse.  But I am sure that even a few committed mezcal fans have never tried one, and my mission is to continue to educate and inspire everyone in the mezcal spectrum (from expert to novice).  So why not write about something fabulous even though some may be familiar?

This drink was originally developed by Phil Ward, when he was at Death and Co., before he opened Mayahuel, one of the best tequila/mezcal bars in the world.  My friend, Steve Olson, was at said cocktail party as well.  If you do not know of Steve, he is a renowned wine and spirits professional, with a deep (some may say insane, which I respect) passion for mezcal and tequila.  While discussing the various cocktails that were being offered, Steve began talking about the magic of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and how he felt it presented mezcal in a brilliant way.  Though it was not “on the menu”, after some coaxing from the host, Steve stepped behind the bar to make a few.

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The Two Greatest Mezcal Cocktails Known to Mankind

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Now that may sound like a bold claim, but I believe it.  I have gone through a massive mezcal cocktail discovery process, and have made many, tried many, and therefore, consumed many.  It has been hard, as you might imagine.  But through this process, I have not found any that can top these two.  Yes, a few try to approach the pantheon, but they too fall back to just being damn good, not completely awesome.

Both of these drinks take a bit of effort, but I assure you it is worth it.  You will literally amaze your friends.  Some of them actually think I know what I am doing!  I just make these drinks and the people follow.  They become instant mezcal converts.  So here they are: (more…)