Gun Metal Blue

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Cocktail History

The Gun Metal Blue is a modern cocktail that was created in 2015 by Mike Shain and Nicholas Bennett at Porchlight in New York City, New York. It calls for a mixture of mezcal, peach brandy, lime, cinnamon syrup, gentian root, and blue curaçao, which is what gives the drink its brilliant hue and made it an instance hit at the bar when it was initially added to the menu.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Creyente Mezcal Joven.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Blue Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, spices, blue food coloring, and alcohol. I used Bols Blue Curaçao.

Peach Brandy: This is a liqueur made with peaches, spices, sugar, and brandy. I used DeKuyper Peach Brandy.

Suze: This is an apéritif made in France with gentian root, citrus, herbs, and alcohol.

Orange Disc: This is the peel of an orange that has been cut into a circular shape.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright blue color

• Aroma: Citrus and smoky mezcal

• Taste: Fairly tart taste that mixes orange, mezcal, and touches of peach

• Finish: Lingering agave and citrus

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "From the list of ingredients, I didn't expect this recipe to make me pucker up quite so much. The full 3/4 oz of lime juice makes it quite the tangy little concoction. I tend to steer clear of blue curaçao in cocktails like this, but I can totally see how it would instantly make it a hit back in the mid-2010s, especially when blue drinks were all the rage. They still kind of are, at least on social media, so if you want a tasty, refreshing, and eye-catching mezcal drink, you can't go wrong with the Gun Metal Blue. I found it to be quite delicious!"

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.