Matt

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.

Very nice - a great way to enjoy sake! I used blanco vermouth (I prefer it to dry vermouth). A showcase for the sake flavors while keeping enough gin to remind you it is there, is more flavorful (and less boozy) than straight gin, and more clean on the palate than straight sake.

An unexpected flavor combo - if you like mezcal and are looking to push the envelope this is something you should try. Mezcal is the dominant flavor here, with the creme de cassis in a supporting background role. The lime juice gives some brightness without really impacting flavor, and the ginger flavor notes complement the mezcal and cassis (IMO).

Lime and tequila are great combination! But adding ginger beer detracts from this, and while not bad, it isn't as good as I hoped.

Made with JF Haden's Mango liqueur and Jarritos mango soda: Nice fresh mango at first sip, with tequila and lime emerging shortly afterward, and the tequila lasting into the finish. A decent, refreshing mango based highball.

An unexpected and interesting combination - not appealing enough to be a favorite but it is good. Quite sweet - the amaretto and hint of banana start the taste, with the cynar bitter following with the smoky mezcal. Mezcal lingers in the finish as all else dr0ps off quickly.

Very basic, but I like the combo. Made with Kahlua - so a bit syrupy and sweet, but the tequila boozy heat dissipates the stickiness quickly.

Cynar flavors with applejack heat - a good sipper/shot.

Amaretto dominates, of course. Coffee notes are very nice background though. I used Mr. Black to try to reduce the sweetness - but the amaretto still tilts this strongly to the sweet side. Overall it is a very nice shot.

Lemony brightness and peppery basil - a great flavor combination. The rum provides a nice, neutral canvas for these flavors, with the mastiha complementing the basil.

Very delicious - sweet cocktail that leans into the honey and orange. The lemon juice works well with the Cointreau to present a fresh, bright orange flavor that works very well with the honey. The distinctive notes of tsipouro are drowned out by the orange and honey, IMO, and I used blanco vermouth (so maybe that removed a dimension?) - regardless I thought it was a delicious (and slightly boozy) cocktail.

Delicious and simple! Very approachable and appealing flavors. I wonder how subbing in honey syrup in place of the rich simple would work - would it be similar to a Bee's Knees ?

A very nice whiskey sour - the mezcal adds a little smoke (very little, but enough to notice), the orgeat and lemon work well together to make tangy and sweet. The Lucano amaro is hard to find with all the other strong flavors, but I'm pretty sure it is working to boost the orgeat.

I tried again using 45 ml rye (100 proof) and 15 ml mezcal - still a smoky cocktail, but the rye, Lucano amaro and Suze are all much more prominent. I can't find the bitters - there is an awful lot going on in this cocktail so I think the bitters may be extraneous. As modified - a nice cocktail, but still not a favorite.

I agree with other commenters - the mezcal is too heavy. Maybe a 40/20, or 45/15 rye/mezcal split instead? There is some heat and spice from the rye, and the amaro notes are present (but struggle to emerge from behind the mezcal). Suze takes a cocktail that seems a bit sweet (rye) in the beginning and quickly steers to a modestly bitter finish - very nice!

IMO this is only distantly related to a Negroni (proportions are far different). Despite higher gin weighting this doesn't present as boozy, or even gin-heavy. There is significant port flavor prominence - a very nice cocktail.

I used a little cocoa powder as garnish - it was like drinking a tiramisu! Looked great, and tasted fantastic, but like tiramisu it is very rich. Highly recommended.

Bourbon, Luxardo Aperitivo and Cocchi Americano - delicious! Attractive appearance - a clear reddish/orange like a tropical sunset. Nice bourbon notes early, followed quickly by a mix of sweet tropical fruit, then a bit of bitterness, with a long pleasant finish that reminds be of sweetened coconut flake. An excellent cocktail, with a relatively low abv making it very approachable.

A very nice, but quite boozy-hot cocktail. Primarily a mezcal cocktail, but the fruity notes of cognac, some interesting and bitter complexity from the amaro, and sweetness from the Benedictine are all present and work well together. A very nice sipper.

A very good cocktail, but I think the green Chartreuse is just a little too much for the mezcal to match - the smokiness is lost in the mass of Chartreuse botanicals and spices, with the tart lime accented by the maraschino emerging late in the taste.

Very nice - the honey syrup leads the nose and the flavor, and works nicely with the tequila (and bit of mezcal). The lime adds some brightness, but the ginger syrup notes are lost to me. I think in the future I'd try with a reduced honey syrup pour (maybe 5 ml) to try to tease out the ginger notes.

The reposado tequila and the pomegranate from the grenadine (I used a homemade syrup) work well toegether and are the primary flavors - lime comes to the taste a little later. Bolivar bitters aren't prominent, but I believe they give the cocktail a boost.
I note that the flavor of Bolivar bitters is quite different from Ango - I'm sure this is an enjoyable cocktail when made with Ango, but it is certainly a (slightly) different cocktail than one made with Bolivar.

I was disappointed - I found the cocktail is dominated by Meletti (which I like) - the tequila and Kina L'Aero are buried in the background, and the mezcal isn't distinguishable at all. In addition, this presents as quite sweet - almost a dessert cocktail. So, good, but overly skewed to Meletti and too sweet, IMO.

I am a big fan of tequila with a hint of mezcal, and this is delicious! The lack of citrus makes this very smooth, and lightly sweet. Excellent, soft and smooth tequila cocktail!