Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Definite Maybe

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

Liquor.com has been serving drinks enthusiasts and industry professionals since 2009. Our writers are some of the most respected in the industry, and our recipes are contributed by bartenders who form a veritable "Who's Who" of the cocktail world.

Learn about Liquor.com's Editorial Process
Updated 02/28/21
Definite Maybe cocktail in a crystal-cut rocks glass on a round tray

Woodlark Hotel

The Creamsicle ice cream bar provides a nostalgic taste of childhood for many. But while the orange and vanilla treat holds up in adulthood, it’s conspicuously absent any alcohol. So, you may want to skip the ice cream in favor of the Definite Maybe, an original cocktail by Daniel Osborne, the beverage director at Portland, Oregon’s Abigail Hall in the Woodlark hotel.

He pulled inspiration from the Creamsicle to make this cocktail, which features mezcal, herbal liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, mint simple syrup and Angostura bitters.

Banhez mezcal is made using traditional methods. Agave hearts are cooked in underground wood-fired pits and crushed by donkey-pulled tahonas (large stone wheels) before the juice is fermented in wooden vats and distilled in small batches in copper alembic stills. That effort produces a spirit that is fruity and floral. Dolin génépy is a French liqueur that has been made since 1821. Its recipe includes 30 local herbs and is primarily flavored by mountain sage, giving it a profile akin to less-intense green chartreuse.

Osborne joins those floral, fruity and herbal flavors with the citrusy kick of fresh orange and lemon juices, plus some minty intrigue courtesy of homemade mint simple syrup. A couple dashes of aromatic bitters tie it together with a neat bow.

This isn’t the same Creamsicle you experienced after chasing down the neighborhood ice cream truck, but it does offer some of those sweet and satisfying orange notes spliced between layers of smoky mezcal, herbal liqueur and mint. Ergo, it’s better.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Banhez mezcal

  • 1/2 ounce Dolin genepy

  • 1 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce mint simple syrup

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Garnish: orange peel

Steps

  1. Add the mezcal, Dolin génépy, orange juice, lemon juice, mint simple syrup and bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Double-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

  3. Garnish with an orange peel.