Bitters & Smoke

1 oz Tequila
1 oz Cynar
1⁄2 oz Fernet Branca
1⁄2 oz Mezcal
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir; strain; up; garnish.

Cocktail summary
Created by
Trey Hughes, Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, Portland, Maine (USA)
Is an
authentic recipe
Reference

http://imbibemagazine.com/bitters-smoke-cocktail/

Curator
3 stars
Average
3 stars
(13 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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From other users
  • Mezcal gets a little lost. Perhaps the drink doesn’t need both tequila & mezcal. I made it with two barspoons Fernet, which was plenty. — ★★★
  • I halved the Fernet but it still overpowered. Gonna keep reducing to get better balance... UPDATE: I like it best with 1 bsp Fernet Branca!
  • Whenever the Fernet-Branca exceeds 1/4 oz, it's all I can taste.
  • Flavors mesh well but fernet predominates.
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Comments

I tried this last night and rated it 3 stars (good, would make again). If you like Fernet in modest (not super subtle, but not hit-you-on-the-head amounts), you'll like this cocktail. I also subbed Amaro Noninio, but the sugar balance was off. Need to swap some Cynar for more Tequila or maybe dry vermouth.

Imbibe's image of this has a dark layer over the rest of a much lighter drink. Anyone know if PH&AC layers the fernet for service?

Also: nonino seems like it'd be a really weird sub to me in this one.

I initially made this with Fernet Branca and a tequila blanco.  I thought this was bit unbalanced using those ingredients, but better when using an alternate, less menthol heavy fernet such as Fernet-Vallet (which made sense given the other Mexican ingredients) or Letherbee Fernet.  The type of tequila wasn't specified so I figured the default was a blanco; I thought the oak, vanilla & caramel notes of a quality repo or anejo rounded out the drink better.  So if you didn't like this as specified, I'd suggest maybe trying it with an alternate fernet and an aged tequila, which made for a nicely complex, bitter sipper.  I also thought a drink with powerful flavors such as this benefited from being served on a large rock or sphere instead of up.