Drink This Now: Oaxac-Hattan at San Diego's Charles + Dinorah

While Covid-19 restrictions remain in place for bars and restaurants across the US, people are still experimenting with their home bars. What better way to shake things up (!) than by recreating cocktails from talented bartenders all around the globe?

Enter the Oaxac-Hattan at Charles + Dinorah restaurant in San Diego. Pleasantly smoky and bittersweet, the Oaxac-Hattan is a mezcal-and-Montenegro-based cocktail with a dash of chocolate bitters that will make you feel warm and cozy, like sitting around a campfire – and is easy enough for enough the amateur cocktail creator to build.

“This cocktail was created as a play on a classic Manhattan using mezcal and an herbaceous amaro,” explains Charles + Dinorah Bartender/Restaurant Supervisor Lauren Autenrieth. “Both the mezcal and amaro have hints of caramel, which blend well with the chocolate bitters, making for a smoky and sweet finish. The burnt orange twist really brings the Amaro Montenegro forward on your first sip! We wanted the simplicity of the cocktail to allow the ingredients to shine while connecting harmoniously.”