Never one to brag or show off, Paul Calvert is without a doubt one of the South's real deal cocktail masters. Dubbed "Atlanta's Best Bartender" by
Creative Loafing in 2011 he's making mezcal come back in a big way by contributing recipes to Garden and Gun, Food and Wine,
Bon Appetit, and sharing one here with us today. He's as creative as he is nice...which makes me want to sit at the counter of
Pura Vida and ask him to whip me up something special. Something off the menu, of course. Bottoms up with these bitters!
This simple, bright, and clean drink lets me get away with two things I love doing: sharing mezcal with guests and using a product that's new to the market in Georgia. The mezcal is Fidencio Classico, a crisp, smokey, vegetal example of the spirit - delicious. The new product is Byrrh, a dry red wine and mistelle based 'grand quinquina' that was popular in France around the turn of the 20th Century. It's great to have a bottle of Byrrh around not only to mix this drink, but also as a low-alcohol refresher during our long, hot Atlanta summers. Byrrh is great with tonic and a slice of lemon. -Paul Calvert
"Corazon Tan Blanco"
1 oz Fidencio Classico Mezcal
1 oz grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed and strained)
.75 oz Byrrh
.75 oz Aperol
pinch of black pepperBuild over ice in a shaker. Add ice. Shake. Strain into a coupe.Bottoms up! Thanks, Paul!photos by Emily Davis
