Do you like to make themed cocktails for holidays like Halloween? I love a themed ANYTHING so the cocktails also fallow suit in my house. I love a good kitschy, creepy cocktail, but sometimes they can be a little over-the-top. There are no tricks or neon saccharine spirits here, this ghostly clear cocktail is a sophisticated drink that’s perfect for a fall or Halloween happy hour. The only spooky thing about this El Esqueleto cocktail is how quickly it will disappear!
The El Esqueleto cocktail (spanish for the skeleton) is a martini variation featuring El Silencio mezcal and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur along with dry vermouth. Earthy, smokey, stone fruit and herbal botanical notes all play off of one another nicely in this cocktail. I opted for a subtle smokey mezcal to bring in some familiar agave notes from mezcal without the smokey intensity some can bring to the table. Mezcal is such a beautiful and broad category and each variety of agave and it’s terroir bring different expressions and flavors. If you are not familiar with mezcal I highly suggest exploring and researching (i.e. sipping) this cultural spirit from Mexico. If you have have had tequila before, you have actually had a variety of mezcal! It all has to do with the type of agave and the location it is grown. It is one of my favorite categories to explore and love mixing up cocktails with it.
A paired down, minimal cocktail that doesn’t have 10 ingredients is sometimes all I want to make after decorating and hosting a get-together. This mezcal martini can even be batched (mixed in a large amount) and put in the freezer to chill to the perfect temperature. Just pull it out and serve to guests as needed, leaving you off the hook from playing bartender all night.
A skeleton hand garnish is optional, but highly recommended for creepy celebrations.
El Esqueleto Halloween Cocktail
Description
The only spooky thing about this El Esqueleto cocktail is how quickly it will disappear! This mezcal Martini recipe features El Silencio mezcal and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur for a sophisticated fall or Halloween cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 oz Mezcal, I used El Silencio Ensamble
- 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
- 1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
- garnish: maraschino cherry, edible leaf such as hibiscus leaf*, orange peel, expressed and discard
Instructions
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass. Stir and strain into a coupe. Express orange peel over glass and discard. Garnish with cherry in the glass and edible leaf. A skeleton hand garnish is optional.
Notes
You can use a more smokey mezcal here, but will have a much deeper, intense flavor. I suggest scaling back the mezcal to 1 1/2 to accommodate the change in flavor profile.
I used a Maple Hibiscus Leaf for the garnish
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