Mezcaletti Cocktail Recipe • Novel Nightcaps

Name: Mezcaletti
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1 fl oz Mezcal; 1 fl oz Amaro Meletti; 2 dashes Orange Bitters; 1 Lemon Twist

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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. We used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal because it has a palatable mezcal flavor with notes of ginger, cinnamon, and tangerine. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal.

Meletti Amaro: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, orange peels, spices, violets, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Italian Orange Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the amaro.

Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the 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. We 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. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

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

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Tasting Notes

The Mezcaletti has citrus aromas that combine herbs and slight smokiness, starts with a surprisingly balanced flavor profile that simply mingles earthy mezcal with herbal and only slight bitter amaro, and ends with said bitterness coming a bit more forward on the finish.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: As we expected, the Mezcaletti was a bit too aggressively flavorful and boozy to be something Kendall would enjoy, but we both appreciated its unexpected complexity, especially given its simplicity. We also agreed that it’s a proof of the concept that less really can be more.

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 a swallow. Maybe someday!”

Recipe

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

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Mezcaletti

Origin: Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails Method: Stirred Base Spirit: Mezcal

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Prep Time 3 mins Assembly Time 2 mins Total Time 5 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Servings: 1 Calories: 145 Best Season: Summer