Last weekend fall truly came to the District: leaves are finally turning, temperatures are dipping, and to mark the transition we were visited by a heavy rainfall on Sunday. It’s the perfect occasion for a new cocktail, and for a shift in thinking toward ingredients befitting the new season.
Maple and fire were the first two that popped in my mind, reflecting two of the better parts of fall: maple leaves and roaring fires. Not to be combined in a woodland setting, I suppose, but in a shaken cocktail – using maple syrup, mezcal (smoke) and poblano liqueur (heat) as proxies – I thought they would play very nicely together.
And they did. I combined those ingredients with lemon juice, added ice, and shook, and out came this beauty:
It was absolutely delicious. The smokiness, spiciness and tangy sweetness produced a satisfyingly complex flavor profile – with the smoke and spice providing some heft, cushioned slightly by the maple syrup. I settled on the “Smoked Pearl” name because the drink’s ingredients somewhat resemble those of a margarita, which means pearl in various languages, and because of the smoky flavor.
Update: After I first posted this recipe I came across Tippleman’s smoked maple syrup for the first time. It takes this recipe to another level, amplifying the smoky goodness of the mezcal. (It also works very well on waffles, French toast, and pancakes.)
Here’s the recipe:
Enjoy!
Smoked Pearl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. mezcal I used El Silencio
- 1/2 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde
- 1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 oz. maple syrup
- 1 fresh lemon
Instructions
- Prepare a rocks glass with one large ice cube.
- Combine ingredients in a shaking tin and add ice.
- Shake ingredients vigorously and strain into the glass.
- Garnish with a burnt lemon wheel.