Monday, December 3, 2012

domo arigato

2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 barspoon Sesame Oil

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass with ice. Top with 4 oz of ginger beer, add a straw, and garnish with a lime wheel.

At Sichuan Garden II in Woburn, bartender Ran Duan suggested the Domo Arigato for Andrea, and its inclusion of sesame oil in the ingredients list definitely intrigued her. Ran explained how he discovered how well mezcal and sesame paired when he happened to drink the agave spirit with a  sesame dish, and thus, he crafted this Mezcal Buck as a result. Perhaps this should not be so surprising once you consider that sesame seeds play a large role in Mexican cuisine in many mole and adobo recipes; however, as the drink's name suggests, sesame's role in Asian cooking is also quite important.
sichuan garden II woburn bartender ran duan cocktail
The sesame in the Domo Arigato played a large role in the aroma department where it joined the lime and hints of mezcal. A carbonated lime sip led into the return of the sesame on the swallow along with the smoky mezcal and spicy ginger flavors. Definitely the drink was as delicious as it was curious.

2 comments:

Dagreb said...

"... Kilroy! Kilroy!"

uberwrensch said...

Just wanted to comment that I tried this drink last night. Perhaps went a bit overboard on the sesame side when I sprinkled a bit of roasted sesame as garnish. The taste, as you say, is soooo curious. What an unusual profile (to me) combining the ginger beer, lime, smoke, and sesame! I wouldn't say it's a go-to drink, but one I would not at all mind re-visiting.