When it comes to summer drinks, I want something that’s refreshing but also surprising. As a home bartender with probably too many bottles in my collection, my tastebuds are admittedly spoiled. I find myself making up new cocktails nearly every night. However, every once in a while I come across something that is so good, I make it again. The first time I made this Gin Mezcal Cocktail, I had it two nights in a row. This hardly ever happens, so I needed to share it with you. Best of all, this draws upon my list of bar essentials, meaning you probably have these ingredients on hand. Cheers!

I have been learning to love Campari. I originally found it too bitter and usually substituted it out for Aperol, but I have found in the perfectly balanced drink, Campari is fine. This drink is based on a cocktail called the Ruby Diamond from Epicurious but with a couple of tweaks. I didn’t have any oranges, so I used grapefruit. And I found the level of mezcal to be overpowering in the initial version, so I backed it down a little. If you recall from my post about inventing your favorite cocktail, it takes very small adjustments to create brand new drinks. I wasn’t clever with a name and just refer to this as the Ruby Diamond Riff.

The sweet, tart, smoky vibe of this gin mezcal cocktail is so spot on. It’s incredibly easy to recreate and goes with many dishes. I had it with pasta with fresh pesto from my cocktail herb garden. Another night, I had it with salmon and vegetables. I look forward to you trying it and letting me know what you think! What has been your go to drink this summer?

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