I’m not at all reluctant to share the toast to this lovely drawer box, since it is very tasty and happens to be a favorite template of mine, the “mezcal Negroni”. There’s an old adage that goes something like “you can never go wrong with a mezcal Negorni”. Don’t quote me on that, or if you do you might skip the “old” and “adage” and just admit I like to say it. The drink, created by Boston area bartender Frederick Yarm (a tremendously prolific creator), has a bit of its own Frederick Yarm origin story as well. Fred relates, about ten years ago on his ironically named blog, that he intended to invent a new cocktail using the bitter aperitif Byrrh Grand Quinquina. He had read that mezcal went exceptionally well with the spirit, so the drink was built off of that and fleshed out with some chocolate, absinthe and Angostura bitters flavors. Further tinkering led to it being presented as a “Scaffa” – undiluted and served at room temperature.

That older drink was called “Ask the Dust” after the classic John Fante novel. The newer version, which follows by taking its name from a John Fante screenplay, updates the ratio of mezcal and Byrrh to equal parts, and adds a healthy dose of Campari while doing away with the Angostura bitters, which settles the drink squarely into the Negroni family. Once again, Yarm suggests the drink be best made as a Scaffa, because it loses power and flavor once diluted and chilled. The Scaffa version presented here was delicious and I wouldn’t be reluctant to have it again soon. Cheers!

Reluctant Saint by Fred Yarm

1 oz mezcal

1 oz Byrrh Grand Quinquina

¾ oz Campari

¼ oz crème de cacao

1 dash absinthe

Combine ingredients in a favorite glass and serve at room temperature. Orange twist.

explore more: