Mezcal Negroni

"Mondays are for mezcal these days, there's a common misconception that all mezcal has to be smoky but this particular label is a great demonstration that this idea doesn't always hold true. A flaviar gift from my brother and sister in law, Madre Mezcal is great for mixing and sipping on its own, it's bright, citrusy, and has a subtle earthiness. - So since this recipe is familiar I thought I'd do a little mezcal 101 for anyone that might not know. First, Tequila is mezcal, but mezcal is not tequila. Tequila is made only from blue agave, mezcal is a bit broader in definition and can be made from more than one variety of agave. Mezcal also has less regional restrictions. Part of the process to make mezcal includes cooking agave in underground pits, which is where many of them get their earthy and smoky notes, and unlike mezcal tequila is not cooked in this way. I think mezcal got a bad rep because of the old drink the worm days and it became tequila's roudier cousin when in fact it's actually a much more interesting spirit than that. It's a craft spirit with a lot of complexity and variety, it's great for mixing or sipping, and makes one hell of a Negroni. - And hey, I'm not the world's leading expert on mezcal but I know that more people should be drinking it."