Smoked Velvet
Mezcal has already proven it can play well with others. We reach for it in Bloody Marys when we want smoke and savoriness. In margaritas when we want depth and edge. In Old Fashioneds when we’re craving something a little unexpected. So when making your next cocktail, the real question isn’t Can mezcal work here? It’s Why wouldn’t it? At its core, a Negroni is about balance between spirit, bitterness, sweetness. Swap mezcal into that structure for something truly bold: smokey, bitter, herbal.
Excerpted from Yes Cocktail Co. x Edible San Luis Obispo Magazine’s The Happy Hour Book. Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved.
Smoked Velvet
Smoked Velvet combines mezcal, amaro, orange bitters mixer, dry vermouth and orange liqueur.
Ingredients
- 1¼ ounce mezcal
- ¼ ounce Yes Cocktail Co. Amarø or your favorite amaro brand
- ¼ ounce Yes Cocktail Co. Orange Peel & Bitters Mixer
- ½ ounce white vermouth (dry)
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Orange peel, for garnish
Instructions
- Add mezcal, Amarø, Orange Peel & Bitters Mixer, dry vermouth, and orange liqueur to a mixing glass.
- Fill with large ice cubes.
- Stir smoothly for 20–30 seconds until well-chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into chilled coupe or rocks glass.
- Garnish: expressed orange peel or flamed orange twist.
