Mezcaletti

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Cocktail History

The Mezcaletti is a modern cocktail that was created in 2015 by Richard Boccato at Dutch Kills in New York City, New York. The recipe is known for its surprising amount of depth, especially given that it’s made with just three ingredients: mezcal, Meletti Amaro, and orange bitters.

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 Del Maguey Vida Mezcal.

Meletti Amaro: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, orange peels, spices, violets, and alcohol.

Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Orange Bitters.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

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.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

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

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: Light golden brown color

• Aroma: Bright citrus and earthy mezcal smokiness

• Taste: Slightly smoky mezcal followed by the herbal and gently bitter essence of the amaro

• Finish: More amaro bitterness with a hint of citrus

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “Out of the spirits you could use in a strong, alcohol-forward cocktail, mezcal is probably the one I’d reach for last, and I typically find amari too bitter unless blended with several sweeter ingredients. Since this recipe calls for only those two and a touch of citrus, I knew this probably wouldn’t be a favorite of mine. As it turns out, the mixture of the earthy agave spirit with bitter amaro was too strong for my palate as I expected, and it had me wincing a bit on the swallow. Maybe someday!”

Recipe

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

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.