See the Brighter Side With an M&M Cocktail
As my occasional New York nomad continues, this week I am staying at a hotel in Chinatown, right across from the Manhattan Bridge. The hotel has definitely had better days, but on the other hand, neither am I, or are plotting how things could go well.
It’s perfect for my purposes (although my goals are still somewhat unclear), and what’s more, while the bridge’s triumphal arch is impressive, there is a contraption to the right and left of it that always cheers me on: the bright big yellow Wing Kei Noodle Co. sign. Inc.
I could live in a hotel. It doesn’t even have to be the situation with Eloise on the top floor of the Plaza, although that would be cool. Give me a room on any nondescript web of hosting deals and I’ll make it a manor. So here I am, snuggled up in this somewhat dilapidated room with a beautiful view. And even though there is a bar in every direction, if I want a drink, I still prefer to have my own little bottle. You know to really feel at home.
Since my dishes are mostly paper and plastic cups, I probably won’t mix many drinks while I’m here, but I like something to drink in the evening, so I grabbed two bottles from the liquor store for my impromptu ‘home »Bar: Mezcal and Amaro Montenegro. Two things that are beautiful in themselves, but together they provide revelation. Two things that make such sense combined that you can’t help but send them.
At a 50/50 shot ratio, this combination is commonly referred to as “M&M” and is most often used by industrialists as a “welcome” or “thank you” shot. But you don’t have to be in the industry to enjoy it a little.
Don’t let the shot format limit you – while it’s a lovely herbal thing to throw away, it’s also a lovely herbal thing to sip and savor, either neat or stirring on a large rock. Try it as a split base for Ricky, try stirring it with a slightly mashed cucumber. Try it in a hotel paper cup, looking out of the large window overlooking the Manhattan Bridge. If my editor Claire were here, I would make her one – I think she would really like it, and I think you will too.
How to make M&M (stir on a stone with a twist)
- 1 ½ ounce mezcal
- 1 ½ ounce Amaro Montenegro (no replacements please)
- Grapefruit twist
Place the ingredients in a chilled glass with a large ice cube, stir several times and garnish with grapefruit (or any citrus fruit). If the mezcal is very smoky, you can decrease it and increase it in Amaro Montenegro and use a 2: 1 ratio rather than 1: 1.