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1 oz Mezcal (recommend a mezcal with a smooth smokiness.)
1 oz Brandy, Hennessy
2 1⁄2 t Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano
1⁄4 oz Bénédictine
Instructions

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with Orange peel.

Notes

Spices, rose jam, smoky, berries, muscat

History

This cocktail is a variation of the beloved modern classic 'Death and Taxes'. It started with the idea of swapping gin and whiskey for mezcal and brandy. The name comes from the joke that if death and taxes are unavoidable in life, then marriage and business should be avoided whenever possible. Incidentally, taking the first letters of the spirits also spells M & B.

However, upon further investigation, I found many variations such as the “Plaza Vieja,” “Souls of the Mountain,” “Dolores del Rio,” “1910”—all of which were essentially the same combination of mezcal and brandy, with only the “Punte Mes” component replaced by different ingredients. This led us to ponder how we could create a unique identity. After countless trials and errors, we finally found the solution: replacing “Punte Mes” with “Coca Americano” and “Montenegro.” When we tasted it ourselves, the result was surprisingly satisfying, which is why we’re introducing it here.

Cocktail summary
Created by
Kang Hyun, Seoul, South Korea
Year
2026
Is the
author's original creation
Reference

myself

Curator
Not yet rated
User rating
3.5 stars
(2 ratings)
Yields Drink

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