El Capitan Hook

We’re inspired every time we have a great cocktail, and we definitely started to feel inspired when we visited Highland Park Bowl the other night and enjoyed a few of their cocktails. The drink that inspired this one was one that we ordered while sipping drinks, eating (excellent) pizza and watching our friends bowl the other night. The cocktail was called Handsome not Handless and it was made with Crema de Mezcal, Giffard Banane, Luxardo Maraschino, pineapple and lime juice. It was tropical, smokey and had just the right balance. Naturally, we couldn’t resist using those ingredients as a base for our own version, El Capitan Hook.

The cocktail has a rich smokey note balanced by tropical fruit flavors. To keep those fruity flavors at the forefront, we used a light hand with the mezcal, resulting in a drink that is a little lower in alcohol than some and a good choice for sipping on a hot day. The drink that inspired this one used crema de mezcal, which about 20% agave syrup already added to it so, as you might expect, it is sweeter than “plain” mezcal. We didn’t add an agave in this drink, but were generous with our pineapple juice pour to make sure you could taste it in every sip.

El Capitan Hook
1 oz mezcal
3/4 oz banana liqueur
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, fill with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a poco grande glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a cherry.