Based in Los Angeles, Vicki Arkoff is Editor at Large…
Mezcal is better and more popular than ever. The smokey cousin to tequila has a taste and aroma that comes from its unique distillation process, resulting in a spirit that teases the palate and the nose.
To celebrate National Mezcal Day on October 21, Dos Hombres Mezcal created five elevated cocktail recipes to highlight the attributes of their mezcal made from Espadin agave, hand-selected from the hillsides of a small village in Oaxaca. Dos Hombres concoctions were liberally served recently at the birthday party for Dos Hombres co-founder Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, El Camino) at Lavo Ristorante in the private The Fleur Room on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.
Smooth As Honey
2 oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
1 oz. Honey Syrup (honey and water)
2 Dashes aromatic bitters
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
Directions: Add all ingredients into a mixing tin. Shake and strain into a large rocks glass filled with ice. Add a lemon peel for garnish.
La Piña
1 ½ oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
½ oz. Herradura Reposado Tequila
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
¾ oz. Lemon Juice
½ oz. Chambord
1 Egg White
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake. Add ice, shake again and strain into a stemmed coupe glass. (The floral print design requires a Ripple Machine).
Oaxacan Dead
1 ¼ oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
1 oz. Grapefruit juice
1 oz. Pomegranate juice
½ oz. Falernum
Directions: Add all ingredients into a mixing tin with ice. Shake and strain into a large rocks glass (filled with 1 x 1 Hoshizaki ice cubes). Top with a dash of powdered cinnamon.
Sicilian Cartel
1.5 oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
1 oz. Monin Grapefruit Syrup
.75 oz. Lime Juice
4 dashes Habanero Tincture
1 Egg White
Garnish: Peychauds Bitters for hearts and grapefruit peel
Method: Add all but the egg whites to tin with ice and shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Dry shake the egg white until foamy, then float on top of the cocktail. Add four or five drops of bitters and use a toothpick to form each drop into a heart shape.
Naughty Toddy
1 oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
¼ oz. Honey
1 oz. Whiskey
2 oz. 100% Natural apple juice
To make hot: Mix all ingredients and pour into a teapot or pot on a stove and heat. Use caution as the cocktail will be hot. Pour into a coffee glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
To make cold: Add all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a coffee glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Based in Los Angeles, Vicki Arkoff is Editor at Large for Pursuitist and a founding editor for Holiday Goddess, the online destination for chic women travelers from the editors of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Conde Nast Traveler, and BBC. Her travel and lifestyle reports can also be been seen in Atlas Obscura, The Awesomer, DaySpa, The Chicago Tribune, CNN Travel, JustLuxe, Lonely Planet, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Toronto Star, WellSpa 360, WestJet Magazine, Where Traveler, Where Guestbook, Yahoo News, and dozens more. She's co-author of the bestselling Holiday Goddess books (HarperCollins and iTunes) including 'The Holiday Goddess Guide to Paris, London, New York, Rome,' a travel Top 10 staple. As editor, Vicki's other books include 'Sinatra' (DK), 'Inside Mad' (Time-Life) and 'Virgin Los Angeles' (Virgin Books). She is one of the Usual Gang of Idiots for MAD Magazine, an entertainment reporter (Daily Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Los Angeles Magazine, CREEM), and authorized biographer for pop culture icons from the Beach Boys to Beastie Boys, Paul McCartney to MC Hammer.