This Spicy, Smoky Blackberry Mezcal Drink Is Absolutely Smashing
One bite of a tiny orange habanero pepper is enough to send any reasonable person into a Scoville-induced trip that rivals the effects of a handful of magic mushrooms. But when the pepper is infused with honey, the nearly intolerable heat (slightly) mellows. Give the syrup a backdrop of smoky mezcal, fruity muddled blackberries, and a piquant squeeze of lime and you've got yourself a complex, punchy cocktail. Dare your friends to take a sip.
MEZCAL BLACKBERRY SMASH
Total Time: 20 min; Active Time: 15 min
Yield: 1
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 ounces mezcal
- 5 blackberries
- .75 ounce like juice
- 1 cup water
- One habanero, halved
- 3 ounces honey
DIRECTIONS:
- First, make some spicy simple syrup. To do that, split a pepper, put it in a pot with the water, and bring it to a low boil. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Strain the pepper out, then mix 3 ounces of honey with one ounce of the water. Stir it up.
- Toss your blackberries to a shaker and muddle them.
- Add your mezcal, like juice, and that sweet/spicy syrup and shake it all with ice.
- Strain your drink into a rock-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with extra blackberries if you're feeling fancy.
Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.