Ravish: Mezcal Magico

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Mezcal, the smoke-tinged agave distillate, has been vying, more and more successfully, to shoulder into the cocktail territory of its Mexican cousin, tequila. Almost all mezcal is produced in the state of Oaxaca, and the best is artisan of a bygone era, with agave pinas (literally, pineapples but really the plant’s core) buried in pits, roasted slowly, then crushed by wheels of stone propelled by donkeys.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Nevada

The speakeasy tequila and mezcal lounge Ghost Donkey is a daily fiesta of Mexican spirits and snacks. And its cocktail menu is muy loco. As in the Smoked Corn & Coconut Manhattan, a recipe of mezcal, Oaxacan whiskey made from purple corn, coconut liqueur, vermouth and mole bitters. Dozens of mezcals also await. And don’t pass up the Truffle Nachos.

Read More: This Las Vegas Bar Wants You to Horse Around 

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

New York

Manhattan sophisticates have been coming to The Carlyle bar, Bemelmans, since 1947. A dress code lingers, as do the vocal and piano stylists who complete the urbane mood. Amid cocktails like the Jackie O and the JFK Daquiri, the Whistling Butterfly gets noticed by showcasing Siete Misterios Doba-Yej mezcal.

Hotel Driskill

Austin, Texas

The Unbound Collection by Hyatt property dates to 1886, and the cocktail Samantha’s Ghost harkens to the year afterward, when the four-year-old daughter of a Texas senator tumbled to her demise on the grand staircase. Her playful giggling is still reputed to be heard, but you might choose to giggle over this marriage of mezcal, tequila, lemon and orange liqueur.

Read More: San Antonio/Austin: Be Weird, Meet Smart

Santa Monica Proper Hotel

California

Atop this luxury lifestyle hotel overlooking the Pacific sits Calabra, a Med-SoCal mashup where the poolside patio is sunset perfect. The cocktail list poses a smoky-agave dilemma: the Electric Peel (mezcal, banana liqueur, Tropical Red Bull, orange bitters, lemon), Mezcal in Montenegro (mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Angelen) or Americabo (mezcal, Cointreau, hibiscus, lime)?