Elegante
Recipe:
- 75ml mezcal
- 30ml ginger liqueur
Stir everything on ice for about 30 seconds, strain into a prechilled coupe. Express a lemon twist (still firm, with lots of oils) over the surface and use as garnish.
A simple but wonderful two-ingredient cocktail. Once again, from one of my favorite bar books of recent years, Robert Simonson's "Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails", which we have already discussed here. This time, however, it was also created by himself.
As always with martini-type drinks, I would recommend scaling it down from the rather high total volume of the original recipe. For example, at least 60ml and just under 25ml or even less. A smaller drink, meaning it keeps cold for longer, plus a frozen glass give the ideal result. In addition, the quality is of course important here, with mezcal this doesn't even have to mean expensive, my Mezcal Verde for around 30€ has worked brilliantly here (I wouldn't use a Vida here, for example, think of the "Elegant" in the name...). But the ginger liqueur in particular shouldn't be too sweet and should have a nice, balanced spiciness.
More complex and yet more balanced than many ten-ingredient drinks. Earthy and fresh agave at the same time, citrus oils, mineral notes, dried pineapple and grilled lime juice, fresh ginger juice and then the subtle spiciness of the ginger in the finish. Even though I recommend starting as cold as possible, this is definitely a drink that is more fun than disappointing when it slowly gets warmer.
Source: Robert Simonson, Brooklyn, USA, 2020
