Pura Vida
A smoky and bitter mezcal cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 29.5% ABV ∙
The Pura Vida is a stirred, spirit-forward mezcal cocktail built with amaro and coffee liqueur, finished with a dash of orange bitters. Weighty and smooth on the tongue, a smoky backbone giving way to bittersweet depth and a citrus-oiled aromatic finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Mezcal 40 mlAmaro 15 mlCrème de Café liqueur 10 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Measure the crème de café carefully — at this build it's meant as an accent, not a dominant sweetness.
History
The Pura Vida was created in 2016 by bartender Riccardo Aletta at Holy Birds, a restaurant and cocktail bar in London. The name is Spanish for "pure life." The drink pairs mezcal with Italian amaro and coffee liqueur, building on the smoky-agave-and-bitter-herbal combinations that became popular in mezcal cocktails during the 2010s craft cocktail revival.
FAQ
What is in a Pura Vida cocktail?
A Pura Vida is mezcal, an amaro such as Averna, and crème de café liqueur, stirred with a dash of orange bitters and served up in a coupe with an orange twist. It is a spirit-forward drink at about 29.5% ABV, with no juice or syrup to dilute the mezcal's smoke.
