Mezcal & Spice

Laz Jiminez

The cool, crisp air inside Herb & Sea restaurant rescues me from a warm afternoon in downtown Encinitas. Behind the bar, Laz Jiminez greets me with a spirited smile before recommending the Mezcal & Spice cocktail. “It’s a play on a Lion’s Tail; we just subbed out the bourbon for mezcal.”

He starts describing components of the cocktail as he mixes. “I use Verde Momento mezcal, so it’s not going to be so smoky, and not so forward. It’s a little smoother, has a lot more vegetal notes. It’s not so aggressive like other mezcals, where you get this smoke bomb. You still get it, you still taste the mezcal, it’s not hiding or anything… but there’s supporting actors that are in there, and they make a beautiful drink.” He continues, “And with Drambuie being Scotch that has a little honey, and herbs and spices in it. They dance very well together, because they’re along the same lines — they both have the spiciness, the smokiness of the spirits.”

Then he sets before me a pinky-orangey drink served in a chilled coupe glass, garnished with a single dehydrated blood orange round. “The blood orange is nice and refreshing, and comes out with this beautiful color. We make a syrup with it, with a little bit more sugar so it’s gummier.” A splash of lime juice and dash of angostura bitters makes everything nice. “It’s very approachable, but it still has a punch to it.”

The citrus inspiration came from the chef’s special scallop crudo with blood orange. “So I said, ‘Hey can I steal some?’ And we started playing around with the mezcal.” When asked if his drink paired well, he confidently replies, “Yes it did!” and then gently breaks the news that I’ve missed my chance to test his claim. “They’re constantly switching [the food menu]. Most of the time we try to [match our cocktails to it], but this one was too delicious to take off.”

Jiminez believes it’s that ephemeral quality that sets Herb & Sea’s cocktails apart. “It’s nice because everything for [the kitchen] is seasonal, and so it’s fresh. You get so many different ingredients, you get to try a lot of things,” he explains. “This one will probably be on the menu another couple weeks, and then it’s on to the next!”

What’s does next look like? Jiminez is just now finalizing his newest cocktail, which will use an infused vodka. “I want to try to feature the snap pea that’s in season. It’ll be a pretty green color, too. I’m excited!”

• Herb & Sea’s
• Mezcal & Spice
• 2 oz mezcal
• ½ oz Drambuie
• ½ oz lime juice
• ¼ oz blood orange syrup
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

• Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into coupe glass and garnish with a dehydrated blood orange round.