Mezcal’s smokiness adds a touch of summer—think campfires and grilling—to six very different, very drinkable cocktails.
WE LIKE TEQUILA, BUT WE LOVE MEZCAL. The smoke infused into it during the fire pit roasting of the key ingredient, agave piñas, elevates mezcal’s flavor for us, whether sipping it over ice or mixing it in a cocktail. In fact, a couple of the recipes here are adapted from ones usually made with tequila. Continue reading “Six refreshing go-to mezcal cocktails for summer”
This summery riff on the Moscow Mule swaps mezcal for vodka; a chile/cayenne pepper mix adds a little heat to this refreshing drink. Recipe below.
I’M A FAN OF WORDPLAY. Not puns exactly, but riffing on sounds and sometimes meanings. So when I came across a mention of a Mezcal Mule, based on the vodka classic the Moscow Mule, I was already halfway there. The mezcal quickly got me the rest of the way. Continue reading “Mezzing with a vodka classic: Mezcal Mule”
The Paloma, usually made with tequila, is made here with mezcal. Grapefruit juice stands in for the more commonly used grapefruit soda. Recipe below.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, THE BARREL, HAS MANY CHARMS. It’s tucked up under an El station. The mostly punkish jukebox offers a nice soundtrack to the evening, and the bartenders supply lively conversation when you want it. But one of the biggest draws for us is the cheap, delicious, inventively named cocktails. Our current favorite is the Rosemary’s Baby Daddy. Continue reading “Mezcal adds smoke to Mexico’s favorite cocktail: Smoky Paloma”
Sweet, juicy nectarines combine with smoky mezcal, basil, lime juice and simple syrup to create a cocktail that tastes like its name—Nectarine Campfire. Recipe below.
ONE OF THE PRIMAL PLEASURES OF SUMMER IS STONE FRUITS. Biting into a ripe plum and having its juice run down your chin. Slicing a fresh peach into a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Turning apricots, rosemary and sugar into an effortless, classically French dessert. Or maybe inventing a smoky, fruity summer cocktail with mezcal and nectarines. Continue reading “Welcoming summer with mezcal and nectarines: Nectarine Campfire”
Inspired by the gin-based Last Word cocktail, mezcal gives a nice smokiness to this citrusy drink featuring lime juice, maraschino liqueur and simple syrup. Recipe below.
RANDOM FINDS ALWAYS SEEM LUCKY FOR US. On our road trip to DC and the Virginias last fall, our first overnight stop was in Pittsburgh. We ate dinner that night at Bar Marco, in the city’s Strip District, a cool little neighborhood on the edge of downtown—converted warehouses filled with old and new food and retail shops, restaurants and bars, and sidewalks clogged with street vendors. We went there because, randomly, just before our trip, while Marion was getting a haircut, I flipped through an issue of GQ. It had an article on where to eat and drink in Pittsburgh that included the phrase “inventive yet unpretentious cocktails at Bar Marco.” Continue reading “A classic gin cocktail gets a mezcal makeover: The Penultimate Word”