From the Bartender: Mezcalihna

Good food deserves the right drink, and there's nothing that tops the rich flavors of authentic Mexican cuisine better than a little burn and a tang of lime.

The two liquors most affiliated with Mexico are tequila and mezcal, both of which are derived from agave, a plant found in the Southwest United States, Central America and tropical parts of South America. The plant is often mistakenly characterized as a type of cactus, as it has spines on the edges of its long fleshy leaves. 

Agave is fermented twice to produce tequila and only once to produce mezcal, which is often sold with a moth larva in the bottle, a marketing gimmick first contrived in the 1940s.

Because it is only fermented once, mezcal tends to be less smooth than tequila, and has a more distinct flavor, which can make it difficult to mix. At Las Adelitas, one of the few authentic Mexican restaurants in Prague, bartender Patricio Franzino keeps it simple. Starting with the best quality mezcal from Mexico, Franzino adds a pinch of chili pepper mix, lime and ice to create a drink that perfectly complements the restaurant's famous pork tacos or burritos.

- Patricio Franzino is a bartender at Las Adelitas, Americká 8, Prague 2- Vinohrady, tel. 776 805 317.

More on this story: For a video demonstration of the recipe, check out The Prague Post Nightlife Blog.

Mezcalihna

Ingredients

1 shot mezcal

Half lime cut into four pieces

2 tsp brown sugar

Crushed ice

Half shot lime syrup

1 tsp salt, chili powder, dried chili pepper mix

Garnish

Half a lime covered in chili powder mix

1 tsp chili powder for glass rim

Preparation

Put 1 tsp of chili powder mix into a small plate or shallow bowl.

Take half a lime and run it over the rim of the glass enough to wet it.

Coat rim with chili pepper by placing the glass upside down on the plate of chili pepper.

Quarter half a lime and put lime into a glass with 2 tsp brown sugar.

Crush the lime with the sugar.

Fill a glass three quarters with crushed ice.

Add one shot of mezcal.

Add more crushed ice.

Mix with a spoon.

Add half a shot of lime syrup.

Mix with a spoon.

Top with crushed ice

Sprinkle about 1 tsp of chili powder mix on top.

Add a lime coated in chili powder mix for garnish.