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Mike’s Avatar Mike
16th August at 01:06
Excellent and complex, if not a bit sweet, if you have a dry palate. In that case, you might start with 1/3 oz maraschino.

Illegal joven, Pierre Fernand 1840, Luxardo maraschino, Punt e Mes.
Rae Hopcroft’s Avatar Rae Hopcroft
18th July at 07:59
Pairs unbelievably well with a Terry's chocolate orange. Substituted the expressed fresh orange for charred dehydrated orange which also works well. I wonder if the previous poster suggesting notes of cocoa (dash of chocolate bitters?) might be onto something.
Caspian Berggren’s Avatar Caspian Berggren
29th May at 19:21
I tried this with an overproof Spanish brandy in place of the cognac and man, was it gorgeous! I was a bit concerned about the amount of Maraschino, but it absolutely worked with the brandy and the Mezcal. It enhanced the tobacco notes of the mezcal and brandy without actually overpowering anything. It just leaves a lovely sweet note on the finish.

The Punt E Mes is the real hero though, fantastic choice. It keeps everything in check without dominating the flavour, yet it makes itself known with a certain bitterness on the finish. Love it.
10th May at 00:29
This was excellent !! I love my Montelobos mezcal….wonderfully complex…a winner!!!
Simon Sedgley’s Avatar Simon Sedgley
6th April 2024 at 10:09
Hello Simon. I prefer Armagnac to Cognac; is it a fair substitute or do you think it changes things too much?
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
6th April 2024 at 12:25
That all depends on the Armagnac and its age. However, worth a try if you have armagnac to hand.
29th October 2023 at 04:34
This recipe is delightful! I made a few adjustments, using Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego Cask Strength in place of the cognac, Del Maguey Las Milpas, and Carpano Antica instead of Punt e Mes. The flavors are well balanced and delicious but with slightly higher abv.
14th September 2023 at 19:12
Absolutely delicious. I really liked the smoke that the Del Maguey Vida bought to this drink, but having read the comments, and with no alternate mescal to hand, tried dialing the mezcal down and upped the cognac to compensate 0.5:1. Different balance, but enjoyed that too.
22nd December 2022 at 01:10
This is an incredibly well balanced cocktail. This mezcal, cognac, maraschino, and punt e mes interplay is one of the best mixes I’ve tried!
Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
4th June 2022 at 01:50
Excellent, added to favorites. I used a rather smoky espadin, Montelobos. Punt E Mays is perfect here, full bodied and fruity, merges with the cognac (VS); and the maraschino plus orange zest reminiscient of a Perfectly Straight Blood and Sand or some variety of a Manhattan.
Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
30th December 2023 at 03:47
Just made this again with a French XO brandy and Apaluz, an artesanal joven mezcal made from Agave durangensis. More of a controlled burn than a dumpster fire. Had to add a plus to the five stars and a heart!
Travis Call’s Avatar Travis Call
15th April 2022 at 07:41
This is a wonderful medoly, anyone who thinks this is too smoky, needs a different mezcal...
Per Lennart’s Avatar Per Lennart
22nd June 2022 at 18:26
Thanks for the advice! The smoliness of my mescal clearly overpowers the rest of the ingredients, that ought to blend well. Not sure how to find a less smoky mezcal in Sweden, though…
L. Zimina’s Avatar L. Zimina
6th March 2022 at 17:35
Nice one! I got subtle cocoa notes from it, interestingly. The balance might depend on the mezcal you use; I used Mezcal Verde (slightly smoky but rather light) and found it just right.
Sander Pastoor’s Avatar Sander Pastoor
22nd December 2021 at 21:02
I think this is one of the finest Mezcal cocktails, because it blends so nicely with the other ingredients. Not sure if it matters but I used Carpano Antica as vermouth.
Howard Griffin’s Avatar Howard Griffin
21st July 2021 at 03:55
To be specific, the Mezcal I used was “Mezcal Vago Elote by Aquilino Garcia.”
Howard Griffin’s Avatar Howard Griffin
21st July 2021 at 03:47
A perfect example of why Mezcal does not play well with others. Its pungent smokiness overwhelms all the other ingredients. This cocktail tastes like a forest fire.
David Brockley’s Avatar David Brockley
4th December 2021 at 16:17
Completely agree Howard. Punt e mes is the biggest bully of a vermouth there is. Maraschino is a bully. Peychauds are a bully. I couldn't taste anything but the mezcal either. Bit pointless.
17th April 2021 at 04:14
This is amazing! Lovely smokiness on the nose, and very well balanced. Used Carpano Antica instead of Punt e Mes
j dawsari’s Avatar j dawsari
17th June 2023 at 02:45
I agree!

I also used Carpano Antico and find this to be a wonderfully balanced cocktail. The Luxardo and Mezcal work beautifully together.

This is going in my rotation. ?