I went out to Ace Beverage today looking for some Centenario Rosangel.? I had a great conversation with Joe and found some other tasty things to pick up, namely the Tuthiilltown Spirits 4 Grain Whiskey and Manhattan Rye.? (Be on the lookout for reviews of each in the coming days!)? I also found the Rosangel and I’m excited to give that a try too.
Anyway, while there, I was talking with Joe and he mentioned having a mezcal margarita made with the Del Maguey Chichicapa.? Although he couldn’t remember the exact proportions, I think a basic 3-2-1 ratio would be a great place to start.? If you aren’t familiar with the Del Maguey brand of mezcals you really are missing out on a fantastic spirit!
Del Maguey (pronounced: ma-gay) imports their mezcals from single villages produced by individual family producers.? They truely are small batch local products.? Del Maguey has several bottlings including the Chichicapa that graces my bar.? The mezcal has a strong smokey flavor and nose, not unlike a smokey scotch, with a deep agave flavor.? If you’re not expecting the smokiness, it certainly can catch you off guard.
For the Chichicapa Margarita, you get the sweet tart flavor of a traditional margarita combined with a hint of orange (Cointreau) and the smoke of the mezcal.? For someone who doesn’t like a big hit of smoke or thinks the mezcal is a little too strong, you can always vary the amount of mezcal by adding regular tequila.? Start with a 3:1 ration of tequila and mezcal and alter from there until you get the amount of smoke you like.? However, the as-is recipe is a combination that is perfect for an overcast, cold March day when you’re really looking forward to Spring.
Chichicapa Margarita
2oz Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
1oz fresh lime juice
.5oz Contreau
1 Tbls agave syrup
Shake everything with ice and strain into a chilled glass.? Or if you want, strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Cheers!
Interesting post! i can?t wait to try Del Maguey! the only mezcal i`ve had so far is the french Ultramarine and its quite good, very smoky. Mixes wonderfully with fruit based drinks.
T
You can’t get Del Maguey at Ace, can you?
Ace does carry the Del Maguey. That actually remind me that I want to pick up a bottle of the Crema de Mezcal . . .
I discovered Del Maguey Chichicapa and Tobala Mezcals at a local liquor store here (Rhode Island) that always has a lot of ‘odd lots’ of different liquors. I had to take a double take when I found hand dated & numbered 2003 & 2004 Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals in the tequila section for $19.99 a bottle – crazy, yes … I bought the whole lot – hell yes. Making margaritas with them ???? No way, this is some of the best sipping agave distillate around. Ok, it’s an aquired taste; it has taken me 12 years, and several trips to Jalisco area of Mexico to get when I am today with my Tequila appreciation. Now I feel I’ve taken the next step towards complete agave enjoyment, and I doubt I’ll ever sip a Tequila the same again, after tasting this wonderful product.
I’m sure an agave beginner would not have the same appreciation for such a bold drink, and at 94.4 proof you would think it would have a bite, but it’s as smooth as silk going down. Yes, a nice smokey scent, and taste on the tip of your tongue, and being made from wild agave, and not the Weber blue agave as Tequila, it has a unique fruity taste with a long, smooth finish. The 2003 Chichicapa is wonderful, but the 2004 Tobala Wild Mountain Maguey is simply out of this world!!! If you are lucky to come across Del Maguey, enjoy, and remember: sip don’t shoot!
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[...] first thing that popped in my head when thinking about twists was my Chichicapa Margarita.? It is simply a margarita with either the addition of a smoky mezcal or a complete replacement of [...]