Andy recently went to San Diego on a business trip, and while he was there spent several evenings at Puesto. He became enamored of a cocktail on their menu, the Desperado. Last night I did some reverse engineering in an attempt to replicate it. The result was pretty delicious.

DESPERADO

1.5 oz. Del Maguey Mezcal
.75 oz. Carpano Antica vermouth
.5 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao
1 dash Aztec Chocolate bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a broad swath of orange peel.

The original at Puesto calls for walnut bitters. I didn’t have any on hand, so instead I used Aztec Chocolate bitters. They absolutely did the trick.