UMAMI mezcal cocktail | SMOKY WORM cocktail

Hi, Friends of Cocktails! Have you ever tried an umami mezcal cocktail? Summer is right around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to make a fresh, fruity cocktail. Today we’re making the Smoky Worm, a drink I first created for a summer edition of the three-course cocktail menu called Unknown Taste, which I serve every Thursday at a cocktail bar. Guests enjoy three thematically crafted cocktails paired with complimentary snacks, and this one wouldn’t be complete without a “match made in heaven” snack to go along with it.

The cocktail is clear, fruity, and smoky at the same time, combining Irish whiskey with a smoky mezcal — hence the name. Fresh watermelon is the perfect summer fruit here, giving a light, juicy sweetness that balances the smokiness.

Smoky Worm:

· 100 ml (3 1/3 oz) bottled Smoky Worm

· ice cube dipped in soy sauce

Bottled Smoky Worm

· 200g (1/3 cup) watermelon

· 60ml (2 oz) Tullamore D.E.W.

· 40ml (11/3 oz) Mezcal Perro de San Juan

· 30ml (1 oz) lemon juice

· 14g (3 1/3 tsp) sugar

Start by preparing the bottled Smoky Worm. Blend the watermelon with Irish whiskey, smoky mezcal, lemon juice, and sugar until smooth. Once blended, leave the mixture in the fridge to settle for up to 12 hours. Then strain it through a cheesecloth or muslin fabric — sometimes twice — to get a clear liquid. Bottle the finished Smoky Worm and store it in the fridge for up to a month.

When you’re ready to serve, chill the cocktail using a technique called throwing the cocktail. Pour some of the prepared Smoky Worm into a small shaker tin, add ice, and place a strainer over a larger shaker tin. Pour the liquid back and forth between the two tins four to five times. This chills the drink quickly and gives it a smooth texture.

Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass and add a small ice cube that has been soaked in soy sauce. The soy sauce adds an umami note to the drink, which pairs beautifully with the complimentary snack: a watermelon and white cheese sushi, wrapped in nori and sprinkled with sesame.

The result is refreshing and surprising: the fresh watermelon gives way to the smoky mezcal, followed by the umami aftertaste of the soy sauce. Take a bite of the watermelon sushi, and it’s the perfect summer pairing. This is what makes the Smoky Worm a cocktail to enjoy in the warm months — light, bright, and full of flavor.

Cheers to summer cocktails, Friends of Cocktails!

#cocktailtime #mezcal #umami