Mezcaletti

I love a drink that requires nothing more than pouring equal shots into a glass over ice. It’s why I often go for a Negroni when cocktail hour rolls around. Last night I was looking for something new to try and made a drink called the Mezcaletti, created by Richard Boccato, when he worked at Fresh Kills Bar in New York. This cocktail is as simple as it gets- equal parts mezcal and Amaro Meletti, a couple dashes of orange bitters, poured over a large ice cube and done! Ok, you likely don’t own Amaro Meletti. If you’ve been following along with me over the past year, you’ll have noticed that my bar has expanded greatly. One of my favorite parts of exploring cocktails has been discovering Amari, Italian liqueurs. There are so many and they’re all a little bit different and many of my favorite cocktails incorporate them. This cocktail calls for Amaro Meletti and it’s far less bitter than some of its family members. The flavor profile is interesting. It’s botanical but sweet, a hint of anise, a hint of cola, maybe even a little like chocolate. It has a smooth finish and it works amazingly well with mezcal. It’s a smoky, smooth cocktail that reminds me of an old fashioned. The cocktail has so much depth that you’d think it had more ingredients. I have some friends that aren’t big on mezcal but I think they’d come around with this drink because the Meletti really softens the smokiness that some people don’t enjoy about mezcal. If you’ve normally been one to shy away from mezcal and/or haven’t played with this variety of Amaro, check this one out! Have some fun! Cheers!

Mezcaletti

Ingredients:

1 ounce mezcal

1 ounce Amaro Meletti

2 dashes bitters

Lemon Twist, as garnish

Method:

Pour the mezcal, Meletti, and bitters into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Stir until well chilled. Garnish with a twist of lemon.