So, this is another drink introduced to Mr. C. by our brother-in-law Rick. I tell you, that man has exquisite taste. First of all, he married Mr. Cs sister Katie. His first great move. Then he became, and still is a very successful fine furniture builder. And if that’s not enough, he now instinctively knows how to find fabulous new drinks and happily shares his new-found knowledge with Mr. C. What’s not to like about that? Mr. C. gets to perfect (to his liking) these drinks, and I get to post them on my blog. I call that a win/win situation.

So for this post I’m not going to bore you with the nutritional value of the ingredients. But I will tell you that, according to Frank Whittemore writing for livestrong.com, and I quote, “Many studies have been conducted to consider any potential nutritional benefits that alcohol itself may play in a healthy diet. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism concluded that moderate drinkers have the highest longevity within the general population. The organization also reported that cardiovascular health improved in individuals who drank alcohol occasionally. A study published by the American Heart Association indicated that nondrinkers had twice as high a chance of suffering a stroke as moderate drinkers. Still other reports show that the effects of hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and a list of other illnesses and disorders were improved with occasional alcohol consumption. Alcohol also increases “good” HDL cholesterol in the body.”

So thank you Rick for another wonderful drink introduction. And thank you Arrowleaf Bistro in Twisp, Washington for sharing your recipe with Rick. BTW – I’ve heard nothing but good things about this restaurant. Check them out next time you’re in the Twisp/Winthrop vicinity.

• 1½ oz. mezcal (the bistro uses Mina Real Mezcal, Mr. C. uses El Zacatecano Mezcal Reposado)
• 1 oz. pear liquor (the bistro uses Clear Creek Pear Liqueur, Mr. C. uses Berentzen Pear Liqueur)
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• ¼ oz. simple syrup
• 4-5 ice cubes
• twist of lemon in the glass

Shake the mescal, pear liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice cubes together in a cocktail shaker. Pour the contents into a short, curved glass tumbler. Add 2-3 of the ice cubes to the glass along with a twist of lemon. Enjoy.