Mexican Nail

Name: Mexican Nail
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: Tequila reposado — 45 ml (1 1/2 oz); Honey herbal liqueur (e.g., Drambuie) — 30 ml (1 oz); Peated single malt whisky — 5 ml (1/6 oz); Chocolate bitters — 2 dashes; Chilled water — 10 ml (1/3 oz)

A sweet and smoky tequila cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.6% ABV ∙

The Mexican Nail is a tequila Rusty Nail: reposado tequila stirred with a honey herbal liqueur such as Drambuie, a little peated malt and chocolate bitters.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Lime twist

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Stir all ingredients with ice: Tequila reposado 45 mlHoney herbal liqueur (e.g., Drambuie) 30 mlPeated single malt whisky 5 mlChocolate bitters 2 dashesChilled water 10 ml
Strain into the ice-filled glass
Express a lime twist over the cocktail and use as garnish

Tips

Keep the peated single malt to 5 ml; any more and the smoke buries the honeyed Drambuie.

History

The Mexican Nail is a tequila-based riff on the Rusty Nail with no credited creator. It swaps the base Scotch for reposado tequila, keeps the honeyed Drambuie, and adds a touch of peated malt whisky for smoke.

The Rusty Nail's origin is disputed: many accounts point to the 1937 British Industries Fair, others to a bar in Hawaii in 1942.