La Quebrada Spritz

Name: La Quebrada Spritz
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients: 1 ounce Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, or use 3/4 ounce blanco mezcal and 1/4 ounce agave syrup; 3/4 ounce Aperol; 1/4 ounce grapefruit juice; Grapefruit twist; 4 ounces sparkling white wine, such as a dry cava or prosecco

Recipe from Austin Hartman

Adapted by Robert Simonson

Updated May 23, 2021

La Quebrada Spritz — Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Rating: 4(198)
Comments: Read comments

Austin Hartman of Montana’s Trail House in Bushwick, Brooklyn, sticks pretty close to the wine-bitters-bubbles template of the classic spritz with this simple drink. His main break with tradition is his use of the fiery agave spirit mezcal as a base. Wanting the liquor to play well with the other ingredients, he opts for the sweeter, softer Crema de Mezcal, from Del Maguey. “It still has some of the smoky, spice qualities of mezcal, but some of the sweetness that works well with the bitterness of the Aperol,” he said. At first, the mezcal delivers a bracing, spirited hit you don’t expect from a spritz. But after a few sips, it all calms down into an easygoing, refreshing whole. —Robert Simonson

Featured in: Bitter and Bubbly, the Spritz Evolves

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink

1ounce Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, or use ¾ ounce blanco mezcal and ¼ ounce agave syrup
¾ounce Aperol
¼ounce grapefruit juice
Grapefruit twist
4ounces sparkling white wine, such as a dry cava or prosecco

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a cocktail shaker three-quarters filled with ice, add crema de mezcal, Aperol and grapefruit juice. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds.
Step 2
Using a wineglass, squeeze grapefruit twist over it and rub twist along the rim. Place twist at bottom of glass. Add 4 to 5 ice cubes. Strain contents of shaker into glass. Top with sparkling wine.

Ratings

4 out of 5

198 user ratings

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Comments

kate watts4 years ago

Hard to find the “crema”- used a high quality mezcal instead. Refreshing and light. Pretty in the glass.

Kelly4 years ago

Go ahead and batch this for 8 servings! In a 2 cup pyrex or mason jar: 1 cup mezcal 3/4 cup aperol 1/4 cup grapefruit around 1/4 cup agave or sweetener (by taste) Chill. Top with the 4oz of sparking when you pour it in a glass!

Rosalina4 years ago

I batched this drink for 8 servings in a pitcher for a family dinner party and it was a great riff on the usual Aperol spritz. When batching it up, I added 2 oz of water to account for the ice cube dilution in the shaker.

Joni D3 years ago

This is a mixed drink with ice cubes and three other ingredients, so I'm pretty sure any mezcal will do well. Any nuances from premium mezcal would be lost, so I'd choose something decent but basic. Banhez is a soft creamy mezcal that is widely available and is a great bang for your buck.

Kelly4 years ago

Lorrie4 years ago

Made this for friends this weekend. We all agreed that it was delicious. The mescal was nicely balanced by the other ingredients.

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