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.