The Brave
The Brave by Bobby Heugel
"Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been." - Mark Twain
With that in mind, I selected this particular cocktail to pair with this puzzle and toast the day. There are a few things going on here that make this one special. When I first got serious about craft cocktails and the refined art of a well made drink, there was only one true craft cocktail bar in Houston, my hometown. Anvil Bar & Refuge, and its owner Bobby Heugel, became the epicenters and architects of Houston’s subsequent cocktail culture. The bar remains one of the best in America, consistently and reliably named on national “best of” lists and garnering six James Beard Award nominations over the years. It’s still my favorite bar in Houston. There’s a famous drink they serve there, created by Heugel at the beginning, which has a permanent spot on the menu. Legend has it that he spent an entire year perfecting this drink, before he even opened his famous bar. Heugel is also well known for his passion about true origin agave spirits, featured prominently in this drink, which is largely a fifty-fifty mix of tequila and mezcal – another reason I selected it for this offering. The agave is mellowed, and amplified, with a bit of Averna, a dark amaro known for its touch of sweetness, citrus and chocolate flavors, that pair well with the agave spirits. The citrus is further enhanced with a hint of citrus liqueur, and the drink is finished with Angostura mist and a flamed orange peel.
“The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.” ― H.L. Mencken
Another interesting thing about this cocktail is how it is prepared and served – at room temperature. Unlike most cocktails that are either shaken or stirred with ice, this is a “scaffa”, a room temperature cocktail that is already perfect, undiluted and unchilled. It’s strong, bold, and may not be for the faint of heart, which is why they call it “The Brave”. I don’t think you have to be brave to enjoy it, though. It’s a perfect cocktail, well balanced and delicious. I did something a little extra to it as well, a final nod to the auspicious occasion at hand. I added the ingredients to a charred oak barrel and left it in for AGES before decanting. Exactly three weeks, at any rate, which is a fine amount of time for a small barrel to work plenty of magic. The final cocktail was a bit darker, softer in texture and palate, imbued with oak and perhaps even more delicious. Now I raise my glass to the Ages, and bravely face the future. Cheers.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” ― Mark Twain
The Brave by Bobby Heugel
1 ounce mezcal (preferably Del Maguey Vida)
1 ounce blanco tequila (preferably Siembra Azul)
1/2 ounce Averna
1/4 ounce Royal Combier
Garnish: 3 mists Angostura and a flamed orange peel