Oaxacan Angel
Mezcal and agave nectar, stirred, with a nineteenth-century bitters
Ingredients
- 2 ozMezcalDel Maguey Vida in the printed version
- 2 dashesCastilian BittersLicorice and dandelion root over caramelised demeraraSubstitute: Any licorice-led aromatic bitters
- 1 barspoonAgave NectarA barspoon, and no more than that
Instructions
- Add 2 oz mezcal, 1 barspoon agave nectar and 2 dashes Castilian bitters to a mixing glass
- Fill with ice and stir until cold
- Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice
- Express a grapefruit twist over the surface and drop it in
Technique Notes
In each serving, a barspoon of agave nectar against two ounces of mezcal, which is less sweetener than almost any drink in this shape carries. The bitters and the oil expressed from the grapefruit twist are doing the work that sugar usually does.
Why the Oaxacan Angel Works
This is not the Oaxaca Old Fashioned, which splits its base with tequila and finishes on orange. Here the mezcal stands alone, the sweetener is a barspoon rather than a teaspoon, and the licorice in the bitters meets a grapefruit twist instead of an orange peel.