Smokeshow Sour – A Mezcal Cocktail

A smoky, mezcal-based cocktail featuring bittersweet orange notes from Aperol.

It’s about time for me to introduce a new spirit to my ever-expanding home liquor collection! And the winner is…. MEZCAL! I’ll be honest, I have only tried Mezcal a handful of times in my life. There is one particular cocktail from a local bar that brought my attention to this spirit. It’s called ‘Tijuana’s Treat’ from the Banter Room in Yaletown. I tried it last summer at yet another fun and booze-filled birthday dinner for my tequila loving girlfriend. Ever since then, I could not get this smoky and bitter combination of ingredients out of my mind. I thought I would recreate this drink as my first attempt at using Mezcal in cocktails at home. Introducing our mezcal cocktail of choice – the Smokeshow Sour!

Finding Mezcal at the Liquor Store

There were only a few options for Mezcal available at my local liquor store. I did not plan to go shopping for it, so I did not have a chance to read reviews online about the available brands. We ended up choosing Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal because it was the only bottle we recognized from a friend’s home bar. I mainly use my spirits for mixing cocktails and rarely drink anything neat or on the rocks, so I was not concerned about the average reviews for this product. Plus the price was right in the middle of what I was willing to spend when going into uncharted territory. Honestly, I am perfectly happy with this brand and would recommend for anyone who is only going to use Mezcal for cocktails to try this one out!

Signature smoky flavour

Mezcal opens up a whole new dimension of cocktail possibilities due to its signature smoky taste. It blends beautifully with the bittersweet orange profile of Aperol, the tartness of lemon, and a creamy layer of aquafaba foam. I garnished with a twist of lemon after expressing the oils of the zest onto the foamy layer. You could also add a few drops of Angostura Bitters on top of the foam to allow it to slowly seep into the drink as an extra touch.

I have been practising creating a thick layer of luscious foam for a while now so I have a few tips to share with you!

1. Use a Boston Shaker instead of a Cobbler Shaker. Boston shakers are usually larger and allow more room for the drink to foam up. The agitation from shaking creates gas within the shaker which increases the pressure inside. This may result in the seal of your shaker breaking and letting the liquid out – sometimes in an explosive manner. Wrap a towel around the shaker to avoid the sticky mess.
2. Dry shake the ingredients aka without ice until foamy. Then, add your ice and shake again to chill the drink.
3. Use aquafaba instead of egg whites. Aquafaba is the liquid from canned of chickpeas. It’s free, vegan, and works perfectly in drinks in place of egg whites. This will save you from having to crack a fresh egg/use boxed egg whites for your drinks. Some people are allergic to egg whites, so if you are making drinks for a group of new friends, you will want to stick to the safe route and opt for aquafaba. Some bartenders like to freeze aquafaba in an ice cube tray (approx 1 oz per cube). I find it keeps quite well in the fridge so I always have a container on hand.

If you tend to enjoy smoky scotch, you will love this drink! I’m confident that this recipe is quite close to the original I first tried at the Banter Room. Perhaps the original is a bit sweeter and this one here is more tart. Try it out and leave us a comment to let us know what you think! Cheers, friends!