Mezcal and sherry are as appropriate a pairing as Missouri float trips and inordinate quantities of alcohol. With that in mind, I present a fantastic campfire cocktail that can be prepared and enjoyed in a Solo cup. (Of course in less rustic circumstances, the drink can be made as shown.)
First, make a large batch before you leave for camp minus the lime juice. Citrus will lose its bite over time, so if it will be more than a few hours before the festivities begin, I’d leave it out of the batch and squeeze some limes as your friends start the campfire.
Once the drink is concocted, add the desired amount to your cup, throw in some crushed ice and use a locally foraged twig (now it’s a craft cocktail!) to agitate the drink. Hold the stick between your palms and move your hands back and forth as if you were a Scout starting a fire. This is essentially how you swizzle a drink. There is some science behind how long to swizzle, but in this situation just give it a good swig after a few seconds. If it is too boozy or sweet, swizzle more. If it tastes like the last watery sip of a nearly empty whiskey and soda, you’ve gone too far. Drink it quickly and try again.
Something for the Fire 1 serving
½ oz. lime juice
1½ oz. Pedro Ximénez sherry
2 oz. mezcal (I recommend El Buho and Del Maguey Mezcal Vida.)
3 dashes Angostura bitters
• In a serving glass, combine all the ingredients. Add crushed ice and swizzle about 15 seconds. Taste and swizzle a few seconds more if too sweet or boozy.
Matt Osmoe is a member of USBG St. Louis and a bar manager at Blood & Sand.
This article appears in May 2015.