Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Smoke Show

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 06/5/22
yellow-colored Smoke Show cocktail in a gold-rimmed coupe
Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Smoke Show is a bright, fresh cocktail with warming herbal properties that bring to mind Christmas trees, cold snowy mornings and evenings spent by a crackling fire. It was created by beverage director and sommelier Liz Martinez when she was working at The Purple Pig in Chicago.

The drink combines mezcal with Cynar, green Chartreuse, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white. The mezcal brings earth and smoke, while Cynar—a low-proof digestivo made from 13 herbs and plants, most prominently artichokes—lends a bittersweet accent. Green Chartreuse amplifies the flavor (and the booze). It’s made with 130 herbs, plants and flowers and clocks in at 110 proof. Lemon juice and simple syrup provide balance, while egg white gives the cocktail a silky mouthfeel and extra weight.

The Smoke Show is complex, nuanced and surprisingly balanced, finding equilibrium among its smoky base spirit, flavorful liqueurs and tart citrus. Grate a little cinnamon on top for additional aromatics, and enlist this drink to see what mezcal can do alongside unexpected companions.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces mezcal

  • 1/4 ounce Cynar

  • 1/4 ounce green Chartreuse

  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup

  • Egg white

  • Garnish: cinnamon, freshly grated

Steps

  1. Add the mezcal, Cynar, green Chartreuse, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.