Scorpion Reef

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (17 ratings)

Glass:

Serve in a Wine glass

Ingredients:
1 oz Del Maguey Vida Clásico Mezcal
1 oz Jamaican-style aged blended rum with funk
1 oz Pineapple juice
34 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
12 oz Orgeat almond liqueur
8 drop Chocolate bitters
5 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

  1. Select and pre-chill a WINE GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of five-spice powder.

How to make:

  1. POUR first 6 ingredients into glass and briefly stir.
  2. Two-thirds fill glass with crushed ice and SWIZZLE.
  3. Fill glass with more crushed ice.
  4. FLOAT dashes of aromatic bitters.
  5. CROWN with a mound of crushed ice.

Garnish:

  1. Dust ice crown with five-spice powder.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

  • Orgeat almond liqueur - Nuts

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 7/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 7/10

Review:

A delicious modern-day mezcal and rum-laced cocktail that could be a Tiki classic.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe created in 2017 by Marshall Davis at Gallo Pelón Mezcaleria in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nutrition:

One serving of Scorpion Reef contains 173 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.6 standard drinks
  • 17.24% alc./vol. (34.47° proof)
  • 22.3 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Erik Lindgren’s Avatar Erik Lindgren
13th December 2025 at 16:56
This was very nice indeed. I used Del Maguey Vida and Worthy Park 109 and homemade orgeat instead of the liqueur. A lot of big flavours, mellowed by the crushed ice. The chocolate bitters and five spice is an especially good combination. A fun sibling of the Tia Mia!
Annechien’s Avatar Annechien
26th October 2025 at 21:11
Haven’t been this impressed by a new cocktail in quite some time. I really like it! I don’t have orgeat almond liqueur but orgeat syrup seems to work too. I used del maquey vida and hampden 8 years. They play very well together. And the bitters together with the 5-spice, it creates some kind of magic. I will certainly make this again.
Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
8th December 2025 at 06:02
Indeed agreed orgeat syrup worked and this was very tasty!
Juan Simon’s Avatar Juan Simon
19th October 2025 at 00:37
Chocolate bitters adds an interesting twist. The choice of rum will provide a different profile.