Mezcal Margarita -- The Road Bends, the Glass Holds

Fall. Chile roasting Las Cruces, Hector at 84 watches from window.

I made roasted chile for the family this week. The kitchen filled with the smell that roasted chile makes. Lisa and the kids ate around the table. The conversation was about the week, the kids' activities, the small ordinary news of a household in motion. Diego called from CSU and said hello. The twins ate too much. Sofia ate the right amount. Lisa ate slowly. I ate the rest.

The dog tags were under the polo. The chain was around my neck. Hector's ring is not on a chain yet. Papá is still alive. Mamá is still in Las Cruces. The road keeps bending. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

After the chiles were roasted and the table was cleared and the twins had finally stopped eating, I poured a mezcal margarita —because smoke calls to smoke, and because there are nights when the dog tags are under the polo and Papá is still alive and the road is still bending and you need something in your hand that matches the weight of the evening. The mezcal does what the chile did: it tells the truth. This one’s for the table, for Diego on the phone from CSU, for Hector at the window in Las Cruces, and for Lisa, who ate slowly and didn’t need to say a word.

Mezcal Margarita

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz mezcal (preferably joven or espadán)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
• 3/4 oz triple sec or Cointreau
• 1/2 oz agave nectar
• Kosher salt or smoked salt, for rimming the glass
• 1 lime wheel or wedge, for garnish
• 1 cup ice cubes, for shaking and serving

Instructions

1. Rim the glass. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass. Dip the rim into a shallow plate of kosher or smoked salt, rotating to coat evenly. Set aside.
2. Combine ingredients. In a cocktail shaker, combine the mezcal, fresh lime juice, triple sec, and agave nectar.
3. Add ice and shake. Fill the shaker with ice. Seal and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is frosted.
4. Strain and serve. Fill the prepared rocks glass with fresh ice. Strain the margarita over the ice.
5. Garnish. Perch a lime wheel or wedge on the rim of the glass and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg