The newest restaurant in the restaurant ghetto of Valencia Street is West of Pecos, and it's a southwestern affair from the family that owns Woodhouse Fish Co., the MacNivens including Tyler MacNiven, who's best known to Amazing Race fans for showing up as one of the winning "hippie" team in Season 9. The bar is doing a small selection of tequila and mezcal concoctions, including today's drink of the week, the Mezcal Mule.
It's of course a twist on the classic Moscow Mule, made with vodka, but in this version they use smoky mezcal and pungent, spicy Bundaberg ginger beer. The combination melds into a pleasant sweetness by the bottom of the cup, and we should note they're using aluminum prison cups to serve the drink it's kind of a play on cowboy-camp cups, to go with stuff like their excellent skillet cornbread with molasses and chipotle butter, and tasty lamb albondigas.
Mezcal Mule
1.5 oz Vida Del Maguey Mezcal
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz Bundaberg ginger beer
Shake mezcal, lime, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Serve on the rocks in a metal prison cup, topped with ginger beer.