We are but two posts into this new series and we are already having a blast exploring the fun that is tequila. Today, we find ourselves walking in the desert, away from that which we know wondering about what lies ahead in the Badlands.
It is a wish of mine, a resolution for this New Year that I can or that I am able to conduct more “research.” No, despite my best efforts at a top flight education, I will not be curing cancer or figuring out a new process for cold fusion. Rather I seek research into that which brings happiness to my heart — flavor combining of spirits and consumption of said ingredients. Plenty of new places have opened up over the last year (and prior year) that I have yet to explore and are definitely worth at least one go and so I vow, in these pages herein, to do better (that is what I do for you my dear readers) this year on my much needed “research.” While there may be plenty of new joints worth exploring I am in my heart-of-hearts a creature of habit; if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it and so I continue to visit with great frequency certain establishments that I really enjoy. You may have heard me wax poetic about such tiny drinking places like Death & Co., The Clover Club, 11 Madison Park and well, Mayahuel?
If tequila and mezcal (or any well made drink for that matter) are your things then Mayahuel is a place you much visit repeatedly. Phil Ward and his team have created a constantly evolving menu of drinks designed to take guests on an educational experience/journey into that which makes these spirits so very amazing. It is no wonder that we have found ourselves back at this location for some agave inspiration and fun.
Today is our first recipe featuring or focusing on mezcal, that smoky vegetal kissing cousin of 
tequila from Oaxaca. We had several possible selections featuring mezcal lined up but in the end we decided to feature the Badlands, an offering had last year while imbibing at Mayahuel. What is curious about the drink and that which we think is such an “out of the box” experiment into flavor combining is the key ingredient; nope, it isn’t the mezcal (don’t shoot me … I know we are profiling it but …) but its pairing with pisco. As you’ll see by our tasting notes below, the marriage of the grape/fruity characteristics works so wonderfully well with the smoky, slightly briny mezcal.
Note: this is also a form of “Project Recreate” as the below is our best attempt to recreate the drink we sampled at Mayahuel. The below recipe is our own adaptation and is not, to the best of my knowledge, the actual one served/used at Mayahuel.
Badlands
Recipe created by the team at Mayahuel (in NYC) and re-created and/or adapted as best he can, by theSpeakista
• 1 1/2 oz pisco (Campo de Encanto was used)
• 1/2 oz mezcal
• 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
• 1/4 oz Maraska maraschino liqueur (Luxardo was used)
• 1/4 oz Cocchi Americano
• 2 dashes Bittermen’s mole bitters
Garnish: none
Glass: coupe or cocktail glass
Tools: mixing glass, bar-spoon and julep strainer
Assembly: Mix all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of cracked and non-cracked ice until the drink well chilled (adding more ice as needed) and pour into the serving glass.
The verdict: an almost perfect, semi-sweet aperitif-like drink. Fruit and botanicals are balanced against grassy, smoky flavors. The mezcal’s natural qualities are held in check, balanced nicely and are allowed to support the lighter ingredients. A really, really nice drink to sip on.
Things are definitely getting interesting. If pisco and mezcal work so well with one another in a coupe what else could possibly lie ahead on our road to Tequilaville? Marvelous joy will be found once again when Phil Ward takes the reigns and mixes sherry, tequila and a little cocktail ketchup together for something all-together pleasant.
