Even people who typically don’t love the smoky flavor of mezcal may find their new cocktail match in the Fear and Loathing from North Shore’s Frazier Five & Dime. Bar manager Shelby LaFortune says her goal whenever creating a drink is to make it enjoyable for everyone — even people who think they don’t like the cocktail’s base spirit.
Since the restaurant opened earlier this year, her mezcal-based Fear and Loathing cocktail has become its best-selling drink.
“It’s the perfect balance of the smoke with a tart [flavor] from the fresh juice that’s in it,” she says of the cocktail, which blends mezcal with pomegranate-infused tequila, lime juice, orange juice and simple syrup, topped with a drizzle of CBD oil and a lava salt rim. “With a well-balanced cocktail, it shouldn’t matter what that base spirit is.”
The drink hits all four of the tasting spots on the tongue — all of which complement the smoky flavor of the mezcal, she says.
The locally sourced CBD oil from Haygood Farms adds a surprise element to the drink, but the amount added is small enough that it doesn’t drastically change the taste or alter the drinker’s state of mind, LaFortune says.