Coming back to this as an update, but IMHO a very smoky mezcal works best here. For the first time I used Montelobos and the second time I used Lopez Real. They are both great, but the Montelobos has a very smoky flavor that balances very nicely with the angostura bitters, while the Lopez Real felt a little one dimensional.

I tried again with the Trader Joe's mezcal (tolerable for $22USD), upped to 55ml, and 25ml lime, which balanced the Ango nicely!

Coming back to this as an update, but IMHO a very smoky mezcal works best here. For the first time I used Montelobos and the second time I used Lopez Real. They are both great, but the Montelobos has a very smoky flavor that balances very nicely with the angostura bitters, while the Lopez Real felt a little one dimensional.

I can confirm. The first time I made it with Del Maguey Vida Clásico, and it was incredibly interesting due to the interplay between the smoke and spices. Second round with Trader Joe's private label mezcal was nearly all Angostura—not bad, but more like a Christmas digestif.

Delicious! Whether or not it is properly classified as such, this is a fantastic digestif. After a rather heavy birthday dinner—followed by unfortunately large portions of German chocolate cake—this was just what the doctor ordered.

I would like to make this but can't get Braulio. Any substitution suggestions?

Same question!

Very tasty with Mr. Black coffee liqueur and cool espresso (I used Nescafe Gold instant).

Coffee liqueurs run the gamut on sweetness from the very dry St. George Nola to the slightly sweet Mr. Black to the sweet Borghetti and Grind to the very sweet Kahlua, and thus people may want to adjust the amount of espresso to balance.

Is that Nescafe Gold the blonde roast instant? I'll have to try that!

I didn't have a proper amaro, so I used equal parts decaf espresso, Jägermeister, & Tia Maria, with a lemon zest twist (expressed & discarded). Surprisingly good!

Even with equal parts, the Jäger hides the coffee a bit, so I'll try 30/20/40 next time.

Tasty!

I only had 15ml lemon juice (due to a Jack Dempsey), so I subbed 5ml gin. To my surprise, it was still a bit sweet (is that because I used agave nectar?). After looking at the original recipe, I added another 15ml gin (total of 50ml), and ta-da!

Plymouth Gin, Tia Maria, medium roast decaf espresso, homemade saline solution, and a full barspoon of Agave nectar—this one is quite nice!

Still... It needs something. Perhaps a bit more body?

It's probably the dry gin, as you say, but I wonder if the Plymouth would meld better with the more-complex Galliano Espresso than the Tia Maria, which is a little thin.

I didn't have agave syrup or simple, so I substituted Licor 43, but it was too acidic and sharp (might have been the light-roast African beans I had on espresso).

Adding a splash of white creme de cacao improved the texture and the flavor! Still not perfect, though. I'll have to get some agave nectar.

Finally got some good agave nectar and followed the recipe exactly—much better! The agave is critical to balance the acidity of the espresso and sharpness of the tequila!

Comment removed

Next time I'll try the Kirkland Signature Tequila Añejo (ridiculously smooth & delicious for a $30 1L).

I didn't have agave syrup or simple, so I substituted Licor 43, but it was too acidic and sharp (might have been the light-roast African beans I had on espresso).

Adding a splash of white creme de cacao improved the texture and the flavor! Still not perfect, though. I'll have to get some agave nectar.

I should've specified that I used Gran Centenario Reposado.

I didn't have agave syrup or simple, so I substituted Licor 43, but it was too acidic and sharp (might have been the light-roast African beans I had on espresso).

Adding a splash of white creme de cacao improved the texture and the flavor! Still not perfect, though. I'll have to get some agave nectar.

I didn't have agave syrup, so I substituted Licor 43. It was too acidic and sharp (might have been the light-roast African beans I had on espresso), so I added a splash of white creme de cacao, which improved the texture and the flavor! Still not perfect, though