One of our favorite pieces of furniture is an antique ice box Eric's mom gave to us as a "house cooling present." Weighing close to 500 pounds, it took four large men, and some guidance from Eric, to move it in. It will remain exactly where it stands for as long as we're here. The thing is a beast. But it's a beautiful beast and we have a very special use for it: it's where we store all our liquor. Well, most of our liquor. Beer and wine is stored downstairs. The ice box has everything else. Want bourbon? We have at least four kinds. Gin? Oh, we have plenty of that. Scotch, rum, tequila, vodka? Got it.
Recently, I've been playing around a bit more with tequila and mezcal. I've always been a fan of agave-based spirits. Its vegetal flavor (mainly, notes of green pepper) is unlike anything I've experienced in other liquor. I know not everyone enjoys them as much as I do. I have to wonder, though, if maybe the negative association comes from a bad experience with it in college many years ago and now they've sworn it off. It might be time to give them another try.
When I'm out at a bar, I'll often request a combination of mezcal and citrus. I know I'll get a balanced cocktail with those two ingredients. One evening at The Baldwin Bar, a gem of an establishment that is located north of Boston, I asked Ran Duan, the bar manager, to make me such a drink. A few minutes later, he presented a highball glass with a metal straw sticking out. The first sip took me aback. What is that? It's good. I know that flavor. I like it. Is that... sesame oil? It may not have been the first time someone's made a drink with oil in it, but for this guy here, it was life-altering. And that's where the inspiration for this mezcalita came from.
You know who else would enjoy one of these drinks? Jessica of How Sweet It Is. Though, there's a slight problem. Well, maybe we shouldn't call it a problem... but it's something that's getting in the way of her consuming one (or a pitcher) of these: she's having a baby. A bunch of us bloggers have banded together to throw a virtual baby shower for Jessica. Knowing her, I think she's going to love every one of these recipes (the epic list can be found below). The idea was to do "trashed up" versions of different food and beverages. When it comes to drinks, though, it's just all about the booze. And creating a drink that you want to have multiple rounds of. Pretty sure I got those things covered with this mezcalita.
So, I'm raising my glass to you, Jessica! I have no doubt that you'll be a wonderful mother: caring, thoughtful, and a lot of fun. Just a few more months and you'll be able to sip on one of these! I'm sure you can't wait.
Other blogs who created recipes for Jessica's baby shower:
trashed up salads
Gimme Some Oven | Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce The Lemon Bowl | Brussels Slaw with Tahini Dressing and Za'atar Crostini With Style & Grace | Kale Salad with Apple, Hazelnuts & Bacon
trashed up cocktails
Dine & Dish | Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail Food For My Family | Cranberry Orange Dark and Stormy Cocktail Minimalist Baker | Bourbon Pumpkin Milkshakes Stylish, Stealthy & (sometimes) Healthy | Apple Cider Shandy A Spicy Perspective | Preggy Punch Mocktail Girl vs. Dough | Boozy Maple Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake Honestly Yum | Maple Bacon Pisco Sour Cookin Canuck | Pink Grapefruit Margaritas A Thought For Food | Mezcal de Citrico A House in the Hills | Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer The Novice Chef | Ginger Bourbon Apple Cider Bran Appetit | Citrus Cider Punch Floats
trashed up burgers
Edible Perspective | Meatloaf Veggie Burgers with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy The Little Kitchen | Salmon BLT Sliders with an Avocado Aioli & Brie Daisy At Home | Balsamic Beef Burger with Mac and Cheese Cookies & Cups | Candied Bacon Maple Cheddar Burger Climbing Grier Mountain | Trashed-Up Steak Burger with Chicken Fried Bacon & Dijon Gravy Dessert For Two | Bleu Cheese Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries Country Clever | Fig Rosemary Roast Chicken Brie Brussels Sprout Panini Foodie Crush - The Best Cheeseburger Soup Lady and Pups | Spicy Sambal Chicken Meatball Sub with Eggs Two Peas & Their Pod | Sweet Potato and Kale Grilled Cheese Bake Your Day | Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
trashed up tacos
Spoon Fork Bacon | Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos The Fauxmartha | Boozy Beef and Butternut Tacos With Food + Love | Harvest Hash Breakfast Tacos Mountain Mama Cooks | Crispy Kale and Brussels Sprout Tacos with Bacon Heather Christo | Bahn Mi Tacos with Spicy Sriracha Honey Sauce A Couple Cooks | Loaded Huevos Rancheros Tacos Fitnessista | San Diego Lobster Street Tacos
trashed up desserts
Table for Two | Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate, and Brown Butter Shortbread Bars with Sprinkles My Name is Yeh | Mini Vanilla Loaf Cakes, All Trashed Up Picky Palate | Pumpkin Spice Butterscotch Sprinkle Cupcakes Sprinkle Bakes | Cake Batter Confetti Cupcakes Averie Cooks | Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Sweet Phi | Trashed Up Shortbread Cookie Bars Love & Olive Oil | Loaded Junk Food Brownies Lauren’s Latest | Bakery Sugar Cookies Cookie + Kate | Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey and Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies Flourishing Foodie | Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting The Sugar Hit | Salted Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream Cake Hummingbird High | Breakfast Cereal Cake Donuts Top With Cinnamon | Triple Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Crumb Cake Bake at 350 | Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sundaes Simple Bites | Lemon Layer Cake Bakerella | Baby Block Cake Pops She Wears Many Hats | Chocolate Covered Grapefruit
trashed up pizza
Bev Cooks | Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza Rachel Cooks | Apple and Chicken Sausage Pizza with Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Crust Foodie With Family | Trashed Up Barbecue Turkey Pizza Shutterbean | Pesto Potato Bacon Pizza i am a food blog | Grilled Cheese Pizza My Life as a Mrs | Chili Cheese Dog Pizza Simply Scratch | Steak + Blue Cheese Pizza with Crispy Fried Shallots and Honey Balsamic Drizzle The Beeroness | Beer Cheese Tater Tot Pizza Yes I Want Cake | Roasted Pumpkin Pizza Two Red Bowls | Bacon Mashed Potato Pizza Dula Notes | Pork Bahn Mi Pizza Weelicious | Trashed Up Mexican Pizza Pockets Take a Megabite | Roasted Beet Pizza Hungry Girl Por Vida | Hard Cider Braised Pork with Sour Cherries and Cheesy Polenta Bakers Royale | Trash’d Street Tacos
Mezcalita de Citrico
Yield 1 cocktail, but can easily be multiplied
Glassware Highball glass
Ingredients
For the honey syrup 2/3 cup warm water 1/2 cup honey
For the cocktail 2 oz mezcal .75 oz Bauchant Orange Liqueur 1 oz lime juice .5 oz honey syrup 2 tsp minced ginger 1.5 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
1. In a bowl, whisk together the honey with the warm water until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
2. To make the cocktail, place all the cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker with three ice cubes.
3. Shake for 10 seconds and then strain into a highball glass with ice.
