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Cantinflas Mustache
Reminiscent of an M & M, this is a delicious and perfectly balanced bittersweet, spirit-forward, digestivo or late-night sipper with great depth of flavour
Chris Brislawn
13th December 2025 at 21:24
Mole bitters and a smoky mezcal are integral here, and the Meletti-Bonal combo from Elford's recipe works great with the tequila-mezcal base. A darker, heavier amaro like Averna would probably compete more with the base. This was posted on Difford's home page next to a link for Phil Ward's older but similarly named Cantinflas cocktail, which shares 4 of its 5 ingredients, but neither Difford nor Yarm admits to their being any connection whatsoever between the two. Pure coincidence? I think not, so naturally I had to make both so we could try them side by side. Yarm's recipe is more bitter and herbaceous, more aperitif-like, while Ward's is softer, sweeter, more orangey, with sherry undertones peeking through. Overall we both had a slight preference for Yarm's bewhiskered version. Five stars.
14th December 2025 at 14:58
Of course not absolutely not. I took the idea of a split reposado tequila-mezcal base from Phil Ward via his Oaxacan Old Fashioned and other drinks. However, I took the other half from Chris Elford. Past that, I never knew of Phil's Cantiflas until it was posted on Difford's.
14th December 2025 at 22:38
Oh no, I'm sorry if my note sounded accusatory rather than playful. The perils of online publication; no offense intended. Both cocktailvirgin and Difford's Guide bend over backwards to credit the doughty souls behind the bars who create the ever-expanding menu of drinks we enjoy. I assume Difford posted the “Cantinflas” next to the “Cantinflas Mustache” because of their common use of a less-common name, and the reasons to post them together were only strengthened by the common threads in their recipes. This posting makes the “Cantinflas Mustache” look—and sound—a LOT like a mash-up of Ward and Elford’s recipes. Of course, mash-ups are fair game and ubiquitous in mixology, as are tequila-mezcal split bases, and the “Cantinflas Mustache” gets full credit for this Mexican mash-up even if the mash-up happened serendipitously. It also rated five stars from Casa Brislawn; well done!