Recipe

• 45ml mezcal (or tequila)

• 20ml maraschino

• 20ml lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a cherry.

I made an Aviation once before and it was superb, making for a nice balanced way to enjoy a gin without overpowering it, and looking beautiful too. I recently tried a tequila-and-tonic, and was so impressed I thought maybe I should try using tequila instead of gin in some other drinks, and here we are.

The tequila I chose for this was actually not tequila, but mezcal – a less specific term that includes a load of more interesting and weird agave-based spirits from Mexico. This one was called "400 Conejos", a reference to an Aztec myth I don't completely understand about drunken rabbits. It's outstanding, weird and surprising with every sip, and it went really well in this drink.