Mexican Tricycle

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Cocktail History

The Mexican Tricycle is a modern cocktail recipe that was created by Andrew Volk of Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine. According to Volk, it’s a cool-weather variation of Jeff Morgenthaler’s Broken Bike, which is itself a riff on the Bicicletta, that pairs mezcal, Cynar, and hard cider.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Mezcal: This is one of the base spirits. We used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal because it offers aromas of tropical fruit, honey, and roasted agave and notes of ginger, cinnamon, and tangerine. For a low-proof version of this drink, try Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal.

Cynar: This is an amaro. It adds a bitter herbal flavor with notes of toffee, caramel, and cinnamon.

Hard Cider: This sweetens the cocktail and adds apple flavor. The recipe specifically calls for Bantam Wunderkind, but that’s no longer being made as of 2021, so we used Red’s Hard Apple Ale instead. We recommend trying other locally made ciders for more unique flavor profiles. For a low proof version of this drink, try apple cider in place of the hard cider.

Lime Wheel: This is the garnish. It adds a bit of lime aroma and lime flavor when dropped into the drink.

Tasting Notes

The Mexican Tricycle features aromas of light lime and deep smoke and has a taste that begins with apple’s sweetness followed by mezcal’s boisterous, earthy flavor almost immediately. On the swallow, the Cynar comes forward, combining a pleasant bitterness with the mezcal’s smoky aftertaste.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While we agreed this drink featured one of the more unique flavor evolutions we’ve ever tried, Kendall didn’t find it quite palatable enough. Alex enjoyed the unexpected blend of flavors though and would turn to this again in the future, perhaps with a drier cider.

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Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.

Take Our Quiz →

Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Having started my drinking career on Red’s Apple Ale, I wasn’t sure how this would go down since it was combining two of my new loves (mezcal and Cynar) with an old, long-lost, and mostly unwanted love. However, this drink had a crazy intense evolution and ended up better than I thought it would. It only barely featured apple sweetness and instead featured the effervescence of the cider to complement mezcal’s earthiness and Cynar’s bitterness, which doesn’t even show up until the after-after taste. I can’t say I would order this drink often but am intrigued by its flavor profiles and enjoyed pondering it.”

Kendall’s Take: ⭐
“I don’t care for mezcal or Cynar, but I went into this tasting intrigued about how the two ingredients would taste when mixed with the cider. I expected them to be largely masked by the cider, but they weren’t at all. I mostly tasted smoky mezcal with a hit of Cynar’s bitterness at the end. Ultimately, this wasn’t for me, but it was interesting. I’ll give it that.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.

Sale
The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks with 150 Recipes
The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks with 150 Recipes
Hardcover Book; Editors of PUNCH (Author); English (Publication Language); 352 Pages – 09/05/2017 (Publication Date) – Ten Speed Press (Publisher)
$17.47 Amazon Prime

AuthorThe Essential Cocktail Book

Yields1 ServingPrep Time5 mins

Ingredients
 1 oz Mezcal
 1 oz Cynar
 Hard Cider
 1 Lime Wheel

Method
1

Add mezcal, Cynar, and crushed ice to a highball glass.

2

Stir for 5-10 seconds.

3

Top with hard cider.

4

Garnish with lime wheel.

Ingredients

Ingredients
 1 oz Mezcal
 1 oz Cynar
 Hard Cider
 1 Lime Wheel

Directions

Method
1

Add mezcal, Cynar, and crushed ice to a highball glass.

2

Stir for 5-10 seconds.

3

Top with hard cider.

4

Garnish with lime wheel.

Mexican Tricycle

Make It a Mocktail: Use Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal and apple cider in place of the hard cider to try a low-proof version of this drink.

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

Footed Pilsner Glass, 10 oz
Footed Pilsner Glass, 10 oz
Capacity: 10 oz; Height: 8-5/8″; Top Diameter: 2-7/8″; Bottom Diameter: 2-3/4″; Maximum Diameter: 2-7/8″
$206.14
Luigi Bormioli Regency 17 oz. Pilsner Glass, Set of 4, Clear
Luigi Bormioli Regency 17 oz. Pilsner Glass, Set of 4, Clear
25 year guarantee covers rim and foot chipping as well as discoloration; Innovative glassmaking techniques produce perfectly smooth rims and edges
OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set - Swivel and Julienne
OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set – Swivel and Julienne
Sharp, durable, Japanese stainless steel blades won’t rust; Straight Peeler all-purpose design for effortless prep
$16.95 Amazon Prime
OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Pairing Knife,Black/Silver,3-1/2-Inch
OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Pairing Knife,Black/Silver,3-1/2-Inch
Sturdy, stainless steel blade; Soft, comfortable, non-slip handle ensures a safe grip; Hand wash with warm, soapy water and promptly dry
$9.95 Amazon Prime

More Mezcal Cocktails

If you like this mezcal-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Sabueso Old Fashioned

Sabueso Old Fashioned: A tequila and mezcal cocktail made with caramel coffee syrup, coffee and chocolate bitters, and an orange peel

Privateer Cocktail Recipe

Privateer (Variation): A tequila cocktail made with passion fruit syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice, smoke and salt bitters, rosemary, and Tajín

Old Grampian Cocktail Recipe

Old Grampian: A Scotch cocktail made with honey syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and an orange peel

The Marriage of Maguey Cocktail Recipe

The Marriage of Maguey: A mezcal and tequila cocktail made with coffee chocolate liqueur, orange curaçao, and agave syrup

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 2023-03-27.

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