Beer and a Smoke

I don't own very many cocktail recipe books. There are several that I'd really like to buy, but I've already got so many recipes I want to make from the ones I have. The PDT Cocktail Book alone would take years to get through. It's such a great combination of good, solid recipes for classics and interesting new things.

If you're not familiar with PDT, it's a speakeasy-style cocktail bar in New York's East Village. The name stands for "please don't tell," but unfortunately many people have, and on my recent trip to New York I couldn't even get in. I did at least get to see the entrance, which is famously hidden inside a phone booth, inside a hot dog restaurant. Next time I'm in the city, I'll make reservations.

Had I gotten a seat at PDT and only had the opportunity to have a couple of cocktails, I doubt the Beer and a Smoke would have been one of my choices. But I was more than happy to try and make it at home, mostly out of curiosity. It's a variation on a well-known Mexican cocktail called a Michelada, made from beer, lime juice, hot sauce, and spices. The main difference is that it uses mezcal, the "smoke" in the name. Its flavor is decidedly unusual. It's spicy and tart and savory. The first sip honestly made me cringe a little and wonder what I had been thinking, but it kept growing on me. The lime hits you first, a surprisingly sour beginning to your sip. Then you taste the salted rim and the Cholula. The spice and smoke linger. It reminds me a bit of a Bloody Mary even though they don't have that much in common, probably because it feels a bit like you're drinking a meal.

The Michelada is supposedly a decent hangover cure; I wouldn't be surprised if this worked, too. Maybe if I finally get to PDT, I'll make one the next morning.

History: This cocktail was invented in 2009 by Jim Meehan at PDT in New York.

Beer and a Smoke

1 oz. mezcal
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 dash celery bitters
4 dashes Cholula hot sauce
6 oz. Pilsner (they recommend Victory, I used Lagunitas)

Rub the edge of a Collins glass with a wedge of lime and rim the glass with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and celery salt. Stir mezcal, lime juice, bitters, and hot sauce with ice. Strain into the prepared glass. Top with the beer. Garnish with freshly-grated lime and orange zest.

Recipe from The PDT Cocktail Book.