Drinks

Recipes: 2 Smoky Mezcal Cocktails to Start the Night

Fire, spice, ginger and a little peated scotch make these mezcal cocktails a dramatic opening act.

By Western Living /
Photos by Phil Crozier

Recipes by Cody Willis
Styling by Alykhan Velji

Photo by Phil Crozier

Fire in the Pharmacy

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

2 oz mezcal
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz ginger syrup, recipe below
½ oz honey syrup, recipe below
1 tsp peated scotch

Method

Shake all ingredients except the scotch in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Float peated scotch and serve.

Honey Syrup

Ingredients

100 g honey
50 g water

Method

Combine honey and water and stir until fully combined.

Ginger Syrup

Ingredients

100 g fresh ginger
100 g water
100 g white sugar

Method

Chop ginger into small chunks and blend with water. Strain and press through a chinois strainer into a pot. Add sugar and heat gently until sugar has dissolved.

Photo by Phil Crozier

Si, Vale!

From Sam Casuga, Native Tongues

Makes 1 cocktail

1½ oz Torres 10-Year Old Brandy
¾ oz Punt E Mes
½ oz mezcal
¼ oz agave syrup
2 dashes Ms. Better’s Chocolate
1 dash Bittercube Chipotle Cacao
1 dried and smoked ancho pepper

Method

Stir together all ingredients except the pepper and pour over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with the ancho pepper and serve.

Bartender’s Tip

These syrups will last several months in the fridge. Store them in a clean, sealed container and label the date, because Future You deserves a fighting chance.

Western Living

Western Living

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