Illegal

A smoky, complex mezcal sour layered with funky overproof rum, spiced falernum, and subtle cherry notes from maraschino liqueur.

Illegal is a contemporary mezcal cocktail recognized by the International Bartenders Association as a New Era Drink, the category the IBA established to document contemporary cocktail creations alongside its historical Official Cocktails and Unforgettable categories. The drink combines mezcal with overproof Jamaican rum, falernum, and citrus in a spirit-forward sour format that draws on both the Mexican agave tradition and the Caribbean rum culture that produced falernum. Falernum — a sweetened liqueur of almond, lime, cloves, and ginger originating in Barbados, where it has been produced since at least the early 19th century — provides a complex sweetening element that bridges the mezcal's smoke and the rum's cane sweetness. Jamaican overproof rum, most commonly Wray & Nephew White Overproof at 63% ABV — Jamaica's best-selling domestic rum, produced by J. Wray and Nephew Limited whose history dates to 1825 — contributes the funky, ester-rich character specific to pot-still Jamaican rum production. The name references the clandestine spirit culture in which many mezcals were historically produced before the category's formalization and regulation, though the drink has no documented connection to any specific commercial brand that employs similar naming. The IBA's inclusion of Illegal in its contemporary category acknowledged mezcal's transition from a regional Mexican spirit to a globally recognized craft cocktail ingredient.