Mezcal Supreme

Once derided as tequila’s raffish, crazy-making sibling, mezcal is the spirit du jour, popping up on cocktail menus around the globe, from José Andrés' Bar Centro in LA to the Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris. Today on NOWNESS we spotlight Oaxaca’s exclusive brand Pierde Almas in a series of photos taken during the first production of the limited-edition Mezcal de Conejo. The artisan batch calls for an heirloom fruit–infused mezcal to undergo an extra distillation process, vaporizing through an alembic still with a saddle of wild rabbit hung in the top chamber. With just 80 bottles available worldwide, the spirit is distinguished by notes of pineapple, bananas, apples, nuts and spice. “It’s as if the ghost of an old orchard were to invade the senses, lingering long after the drink itself has been consumed,” rhapsodizes founder Jonathan Barbieri. “The difference, though, is the subtle presence dwelling deep in the background. An ever-so-slight-hint of wild rabbit.” To mix a mezcal cocktail with a New Orleans twist, click here.