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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.
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.
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.
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.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“For such a simple drink, I actually enjoyed this more than I expected. The complementing flavors of mezcal and Meletti Amaro, despite being an odd and seemingly disparate choice, actually combine very well together. Plus, the touch of orange bitters round it all out just a bit. While I probably wouldn’t make this for myself that often, I did enjoy it for its high level of complexity given how simple it is.”—
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.
![Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave [A Cocktail Recipe Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ci0Phiq7L._SL75_.jpg)
Add mezcal, amaro, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add mezcal, amaro, bitters, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal, Lyre’s Italian Orange Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the amaro, and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Mezcal Cocktails
If you like this mezcal-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Quick Step: A mezcal cocktail made with blanc vermouth, jalapeño tequila, and crème de pêche
Spaghetti Western: A tequila reposado cocktail made with Amaro Nonino, mezcal, orange bitters, and a grapefruit twist
Cocoa Smoke: A mezcal cocktail made with white crème de cacao, ancho chile liqueur, chocolate bitters, and an orange twist
Smoke & Ice: A mezcal cocktail made with pineapple-infused Campari, sweet vermouth, and dark chocolate shavings
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