I took a trip up to Ace Beverage on Friday after work, barely squeaking in under the 7 pm closing time deadline. I needed to replenish some basics, such as bourbon and vermouth, but the real reason I went to Ace instead of another liquor shop was that I knew they had bitters from The Bitter Truth. I chose a bottle of Bittermans Xocolatl Mole Bitters. Once I got them home, I started playing around. First up was an Old Fashioned using the newly acquired Johnny Drum bourbon, some sugar cane syrup, a drop of Angostura bitters and three dashes of the mole bitters. It was fantastic, but I wasn't finished creating. Just a regular ol' riff on an Old Fashioned after all, nothing fancy.
Next up, mezcal. I love the smokiness and vegetal nature of mezcal, although I know not everyone shares my tastes. It seems like a natural mixing partner for mole bitters. Mezcal has a strong flavor, so I chose a liqeuer with a strong flavor as an accent: Green Chartreuse. Instead of just using an agave syrup or sugar cane syrup as a sweetener, I threw in some apricot brandy. A drop or two of Angostura orange bitters, a couple of dashes of the Xocolatl mole bitters... and wow. Tasty stuff. Strong, tasty stuff. I threw it out to the Twitter world searching for a name, and with some help from @jamespoulos, I have named the drink "Evening with Axolotls" (an axolotl is a Mexican salamander, if you were unaware).
Last night I was using El Senorio reposado mezcal. Tonight, I mixed up the drink again using Del Maguey Chichicapa. Chichicapa has the smokiness I was wanting but also a hint of mint on the finish. I garnished the drink with some mint leaves as well.
Evening with Axolotls
1 1/2 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
1 oz. Apricot Brandy
2 dashes Bittermans Xocolatl Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
Garnish with a sprig of mint
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish.
