Cooking Lesson #1115: Spicy Negroni Cocktail

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? We hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
 
Spicy foods are the rage today and so are “hot” cocktails. In this twist on a classic, a bartender at Clover Club in New York City reinvented a traditional Negroni cocktail by adding some mezcal, chili liqueur and spicy bitters to give the Negroni a smoky and piquant finish.
 
The most common misconception around spicy cocktails is that they’re just heat and no nuance or flavor—but when you tap into spice with actual flavor by using the right ingredients, you can create an enticing, savory drink with some serious heat. Combining different spicy ingredients—such as Ancho Reyes red chili liqueur and Bitterman’s’ Hellfire Habanero Shrub bitters, in this case—can help to reach those levels of complex spice that makes this cocktail a winner.
 
With your newfound spice level skills, there’s a whole world of possibility ahead. Playing with fire won’t necessarily get you burned.
 
Ingredients 
1 ounce mezcal
3/4 ounce Campari
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce Ancho Reyes red chili liqueur
2 drops Bitterman’s Hellfire Habanero Shrub bitters
Garnish: lemon or orange peel or a skewed fresh pepper
 
Directions

1. Read the recipe all the way through before starting. Measure all ingredients and have at your side.
2. Add the mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, chili liqueur and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
3. Strain into an Old Fashioned or rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a lemon or orange peel or a skewed fresh pepper.

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ChefSecret:  I like spicy base liquors.  As the mixologist in your own home if my heat level is still not sufficient for the heat seeker in you, there are other methods to raise your drink’s rating on the Scoville scale.

For some extra kick, you can infuse mezcal or any other base spirit with your own custom pepper combination. This could be as simple as adding some sliced jalapeños into a bottle of spirits, or a curated mélange of hot peppers, depending on the flavors and level of heat you’re hoping to achieve.

Either way, check on the mixture after one hour, and then taste every hour after that until you deem it ready. If you want it to be extremely spicy, you can leave the infusion overnight and see what it tastes like the next day.
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Quip of the Day:  A day without cocktails is like… just kidding, I have no idea.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
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