Maybe Mexico, Possibly L.a. Recipe

Place 8 oz vodka in a clean jar. Add the halved green chile (seeds in for more heat). Seal and let infuse at room temperature for 2 hours for a mild chile presence or up to 6 hours for pronounced heat. Taste hourly. When desired heat is reached, strain out chile and transfer infused vodka to a bottle. Yield about 8 oz (use 2 oz per cocktail).

Combine 3 tbsp of escabeche vegetables plus 3 tbsp of their pickling liquid (from a jar) in a small saucepan. Add apple cider vinegar (4 oz), white wine vinegar (1 oz), 2 tbsp sugar, 1 oz water, and lime zest. Warm gently over low heat just until sugar dissolves — do not boil; this quick warm-up helps meld flavors. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Once cool, transfer mixture to a jar and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight for flavors to marry. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing solids to extract liquid. The resulting shrub should be roughly 12 oz. Taste and adjust: if too sharp, add a little simple syrup or reduce next batch's vinegar. Label and refrigerate; keeps 2–3 weeks.

Place 1 cup ripe mango chunks and 0.5 oz lemon juice in a blender. Purée until very smooth, adding up to 1 tsp water if needed to loosen. Strain through a fine mesh sieve for an ultra-smooth texture (optional). Yield about 6–8 oz purée; use 1 oz per cocktail.

Prepare glass

If rimming: rub a lemon wedge around the glass rim and dip into smoked sea salt to coat lightly. Fill the glass with fresh ice.

Build in shaker

Add to a cocktail shaker: 2 oz green chile–infused vodka, 0.75 oz escabeche shrub, 1 oz mango purée, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, and 0.25 oz agave syrup (if you prefer a touch more sweetness). Add a large handful of ice.

Shake

Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until the shaker feels cold and frosty. This chills and slightly dilutes the thick mango purée for balance.

Strain & finish

Double-strain into the prepared ice-filled glass (use a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh to catch pulp). Top with about 1 oz club soda to lift the flavors and add a gentle effervescence.

Garnish

Thread a pickled jalapeño slice and a small mango wedge on a pick and rest on the glass rim. Serve immediately.