Mez-call Me Maybe Recipe
mezcal – tequila – house tonic - Luxardo
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Finish & Garnish
House Tonic Syrup (makes ~8 oz)
Method
House Tonic Syrup (make ahead, optional)
- 1
Combine 1 cup water, quinine/cinchona bark, citric acid, chopped lemongrass (or lemon zest), orange peel and juniper berries in a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 8–10 minutes to extract bitter aromatics.
- 2
Turn off heat and steep covered for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.
- 3
While still warm, stir in 1 cup brown sugar until dissolved. Let cool completely, then add 1 cup chilled plain tonic water to bring brightness and dilute concentrated bitterness. Refrigerate syrup up to 2 weeks. Use 0.5 oz syrup per cocktail as called for in the recipe.
Cocktail Preparation
- 4
Prepare glass
If desired, lightly moisten the rim of a rocks glass with a lime wedge, then dip edge into smoked sea salt or saline to coat. Place a large ice cube or fill with fresh crushed ice and set aside.
- 5
Build and shake
In a cocktail shaker, add 1 oz mezcal, 0.5 oz tequila blanco, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz house tonic syrup, 0.25 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur and 0.25 oz simple syrup. Add plenty of ice (about 1 cup).
- 6
Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
- 7
Strain and finish
Double-strain the shaken mixture into the prepared rocks glass over the large ice cube (or fresh crushed ice). Top gently with 2 oz chilled tonic water, pouring slowly to preserve a light effervescence and to keep the mezcal’s smoky aromatics prominent.
- 8
Garnish with a lime wheel or half-wheel laid on the ice or floated on top. Optionally express a small strip of orange peel over the drink and discard for extra aromatics.
- 9
Serve immediately with a short straw. Sip to enjoy the smoky mezcal balanced by floral/almond notes from Luxardo and bright, bitter tonic components.
Notes & Scaling
- 10
House tonic syrup is optional — if unavailable, substitute 0.75–1 oz high-quality store tonic and reduce added simple syrup by 0.25 oz to keep balance.
- 11
Adjust mezcal/tequila ratio to preference: increase mezcal to 1.25 oz for more smoke or reduce to 0.75 oz for a milder profile.