Mezcal: Do you like it?

[Strongside]

So I'm a pretty big cocktail/booze guy. I have a very extensive Scotch/Whiskey collection, but I've recently been experimenting with high-end Mezcal and I love it. It gives traditional tequila cocktails a nice smokey flavor and is a nice twist on old standbys like the Manhattan.

That said, everyone I've shared this spirit with either seems to be blown away or absolutely hates it. Have you tried it? Do you like it? Does it taste like a cigarette to you, or does it taste like heaven? To me it's the latter, but I'm genuinely curious.

For those that don't know, Mezcal is a cousin to Tequila. While Tequila is solely made from the Agave plant, Mezcal can be made from something like 35 different spiny plant species. It's the actual distilling process that sets the two apart, though. Mezcal is cooked on lava rocks and Mesquite chips under dirt mounds before being crushed and distilled, which gives it a very Earthy and smokey flavor...which, being from the KC area, I love. It's almost like a BBQ'd Tequila.

Tonight, I'm currently drinking a cocktail called the Victory No. 9, which consists of 1.5oz Mezcal, 1oz Campari, .75oz Lime Juice, .5oz Simple Syrup, 5 drops bitters, and 1oz beer. Yes, beer. ...lime twist to garnish. This cocktail is ****ing ridiculously good.