Rosita (Mezcal)
A Negroni with amnesia and a smoke habit. This forgotten-and-found classic swaps gin for mezcal and splits the vermouth to create something drier and more herbal than its Italian ancestor.
- 1½ ozmezcal
- ½ ozcampari
- ½ ozsweet vermouth
- ½ ozdry vermouth
- 1 dashangostura bitters
- Lemon twistgarnish
- 1Combine mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass.
- 2Fill with ice and stir for 20 to 25 seconds until well chilled and diluted.
- 3Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- 4Express the oils from a lemon twist over the surface, then use as garnish.
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The Rosita's origin story is famously tangled. The recipe first appeared in print in the 1974 Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, creator unknown, then resurfaced in 1991 in Gary "Gaz" Regan's The Bartender's Bible. Regan himself had forgotten he'd written it until a fellow drinks writer pointed him back to his own book in 2007, prompting his wry acknowledgment: "Wonders never cease." His version, which increased the base spirit and added a split of sweet and dry vermouth, became the widely referenced modern spec. The mezcal adaptation, documented on Difford's Guide, replaces tequila with mezcal to add a layer of smoke that makes the already-complex cocktail even more intriguing.
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