Forum

Like smoky water - very clean on the palate, but with prominent smokiness (not overwhelming, but it is dominating). Sake is present in the distant background, and Italicus is not notable. I think that maybe 10-15ml of triple sec (e.g. Dry Curacao) would be a nice substitute - boosting the citrus. Maybe also using lime bitters in place of margarita.

The sake I had on hand was not very acidic so I decided to add three drops of lime juice. That honestly transformed the cocktail so much. It never became sour obviously but it tempered the mezcal a bit and brought forward the sake, and especially the floral components in the sake. If you have a non-acidic sake I wholeheartedly recommends adding just a couple of drops of lemon or lime.

Overall it's an incredibly well balanced cocktail. You get the sake, mezcal and Italicus in the back. You even get the lavender and bitterness on the finish from the bitters. Wonderful!

Proof positive that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Goes for everything in life.

I think this is one of those drinks where one ingredient can make or break - In this case the Mezcal. Its only a half shot but it can overpower. I used an artisanal Siete Misterios which is smooth and not as smoky as some and it was perfect (for me).
Rather than the Italicus I used a Bergamot liqueur and ended up with something on my go back to list.