JALAPENO MEZCAL SOUR COCKTAIL

 I was given some beautiful, fresh jalapeno peppers from a neighbor and one of my favorite things to make from them is cocktails.  I have a little problem eating chilies because they cause my mouth to break out in little blisters if they are too high on the Scoville scale.  I get around this by roasting them and making syrups from them, there's something about roasting or adding sugars that makes them easier for me to ingest.   I took a few of those peppers, roasted them, then made some Jalapeno Simple Syrup, added some mezcal and made myself a few of these last night and sat out on my front deck enjoying the Arizona fall weather with Bailey.    That roasted flavor in the simple syrup was a great smoky addition to the already smoky mezcal. Perfect fall cocktail!   JALAPENO
MEZCAL SOUR

INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Vida Mezcal
1 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Oz. Jalapeno Simple Syrup (recipe below)
1 Fresh Egg White (or 2 Tbsp. Pasteurized Egg White)
3 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters

Garnish: Roasted Jalapeno Pepper Slices   Tools:  Cocktail Shaker, Hawthorne Strainer   Glass: Coupe
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients, except the bitters, to a cocktail shaker - without ice - for a vigorous dry shake.
Add ice and shake again until chilled.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, tap on the orange bitters, garnish and serve.

JALAPENO SIMPLE SYRUP RECIPE
Ingredients
1 Large Jalapeno, seeds & placenta removed, roasted then sliced
1 C. Turbinado Sugar
1 C. Water
Directions
Using gloves, strip out the seeds and placenta (white pith) from the roasted jalapeno pepper then cut into several thin strips. Do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas while handling the peppers.
Heat the sugar and water on medium until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Still using the gloves, toss the jalapeno strips into the syrup, bring this to a boil on medium, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow the peppers to infuse into the syrup until it's cool.
Strain then store in airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY