Pura Vida
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 whisper of orange bitters. Smooth and weighty on the tongue, with a smoky backbone that gives 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
- Pre-chill the coupe before stirring; a cold glass keeps the fine-strained pour from losing its temperature edge fast.
- Measure the crème de café carefully — at this build it's meant as an accent, not a dominant sweetness.
- Stir until well-chilled and slightly diluted, then fine-strain so no ice shards reach the coupe.
- Express the orange twist directly over the glass right before serving so the oils hit the drink's surface, not the air.
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.
