For Cinco de Mayo, try The Oak Table’s El Primero tequila cocktail

On Thursday, May 5, margaritas and tequila will be on everyone’s lips in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. From family-friendly Monterrey’s to newer restaurants like Cantina 76 and Tin Lizzy, every Mexican-style restaurant worth its salted-rim glasses will have a special or dos for you.

Then there are places like The Oak Table, whose location at Main and Gervais streets has a bar that not only has a spectacular view of the State House, but features an unusual tequila cocktail made with Mezcal, a smoky tequila that bartender Jordan Moore calls “the scotch of tequilas.”

“All tequilas aren’t necessarily Mezcals, but all Mezcals are tequilas,” Moore said. “The process of making it is a little different. They roast and smoke the agaves, which brings out that flavor.”

The drink has been featured on The Oak Table’s spring menu for a few months. And before Cinco de Mayo was in sight, the drink was already a hit.

“It’s a nice introduction to Mezcal, which – like scotch – can be difficult to approach,” Moore said. “So this drink is a riff on a Sazerac – which is considered the oldest known cocktail in America – so this is called el primero, ‘the first,’ and it’s almost identical.”

The drink is composed of bitters, an absinthe-lined glass and a fusion of rooibos tea and Mezcal, garnished with a lemon twist. The combination makes for a beautifully warm-colored drink with a nice earthy taste. The sip-slowly consistency allows you to really taste its smoky qualities.

“People know what a Sazerac is and what tequila is, but Mezcal scares them,” Moore said. “But honestly, more people have tried it than I thought would. It costs a little more, it’s strong, and it’s not as assessable, but I challenged people to try it by not having another tequila option, and it’s turned out really well.

“And you’d think two polarizing and inaccessible and intense flavors such as absinthe and Mezcal would be volatile together, but they calm each other down, and it works,” Moore said. “It’s a grown-up drink.”

Of course the bar can still make you a margarita or a paloma, but in honor of the holiday, embrace your fear, lay down your arms, and order an el primero like it’s the first drink you’ve had since coming home from defending your country. ¡Viva el primero!

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 12:01 AM.