New recipes are often created by modifying old classics. One example of this is the Humboldt: take the Zaza Cocktail and replace the gin with mezcal and use a Vino Chinato instead of Dubonnet – voilà.
40 ml Sinai Mezcal 50 ml Antica Torino chinato
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 20 seconds (60 times).
On 25 May 2024, I spoke to Andreas Berg from the MIRABEAU bar in Freiburg on the phone. We had previously thought a lot about how to interpret old recipes, as ingredients such as Amer Picon, Dubonnet, Lillet and others have changed a lot over time. We came to the conclusion that Antica Torino chinato would be a very suitable replacement for Dubonnet, as it has a convincing flavour and bitterness.
During this phone call, Andreas said that a new signature drink of the MIRABEAU bar was the Chepe Xpress and stated: ‘Vino Chinato, mezcal and coffee go very well together in terms of flavour.’
Following my intuition, I asked if he had ever made a kind of Mezcal Manhattan with Mezcal and Chinato, which he denied. Without further ado, I tried it out and the mixture worked just as I had imagined. A wonderful combination, with nothing more to add. I named this mixture after Alexander von Humboldt.
Wikipedia summarises his significance with the words: “Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (* 14 September 1769 in Berlin; † 6 May 1859 ibid.) was a German explorer with an impact that extended far beyond Europe. In his complete works, written over a period of more than seven decades, he created ‘a new level of knowledge and reflection on knowledge of the world’ and became a co-founder of geography as an empirical science. Research trips lasting several years took Alexander von Humboldt to Latin America, the USA and Central Asia. He conducted scientific field studies in the fields of physics, geology, mineralogy, botany, vegetation geography, zoology, climatology, oceanography and astronomy, among others. Other areas of research included economic geography, ethnology, demography, physiology and chemistry. Alexander von Humboldt corresponded with numerous experts from various disciplines and thus created a scientific network of his own.
Alexander von Humboldt achieved extraordinary popularity in Germany, particularly with his works Ansichten der Natur (Views of Nature) and Kosmos (Cosmos). Even during his lifetime, he enjoyed a high reputation at home and abroad and was regarded as ‘the greatest natural scientist of [his] time’. The Prussian Academy of Sciences recognised him as ‘the first scientific great of his age’, whose worldwide fame even surpassed that of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The Paris Academy of Sciences gave him the nickname ‘The new Aristotle’.” [1]
On his American expedition, he reached Acapulco on 23 March 1803, marking the beginning of his one-year stay in Mexico. Back in Europe, he also reported on quinine. We quote him on this topic in our post Gin & Tonic – Part 1 – Cinchona bark, quinine and malaria.
We want to honour Alexander von Humboldt with this mixture of Mexican mezcal and quinine from South America.
Andreas commented on the Humboldt: “We love Armin’s two-piece, which has the makings of a modern classic. It’s amazing what a perfect duo Chinato and mezcal make. Once again, however, this requires products of outstanding quality and craftsmanship: Chinato, for example, must contribute a pronounced bitter note and a variety of oriental spices, while mezcal must deliver a natural smokiness (our association: a fire from well-seasoned birch wood in an open fireplace) and a velvety finish. Antica Torino and Sinai fulfil just that. We consider a mixing ratio of 5:4 (Vino Chinato to Mezcal) to be ideal, as this allows all the flavours to come into their own and the two ingredients not only reinforce each other, but actually embrace each other.” [4]
40 ml Sinai Mezcal
50 ml Antica Torino chinato
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 20 seconds (60 times).
On 25 May 2024, I spoke to Andreas Berg from the MIRABEAU bar in Freiburg on the phone. We had previously thought a lot about how to interpret old recipes, as ingredients such as Amer Picon, Dubonnet, Lillet and others have changed a lot over time. We came to the conclusion that Antica Torino chinato would be a very suitable replacement for Dubonnet, as it has a convincing flavour and bitterness.
During this phone call, Andreas said that a new signature drink of the MIRABEAU bar was the Chepe Xpress and stated: ‘Vino Chinato, mezcal and coffee go very well together in terms of flavour.’
Following my intuition, I asked if he had ever made a kind of Mezcal Manhattan with Mezcal and Chinato, which he denied. Without further ado, I tried it out and the mixture worked just as I had imagined. A wonderful combination, with nothing more to add. I named this mixture after Alexander von Humboldt.
Wikipedia summarises his significance with the words: “Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (* 14 September 1769 in Berlin; † 6 May 1859 ibid.) was a German explorer with an impact that extended far beyond Europe. In his complete works, written over a period of more than seven decades, he created ‘a new level of knowledge and reflection on knowledge of the world’ and became a co-founder of geography as an empirical science. Research trips lasting several years took Alexander von Humboldt to Latin America, the USA and Central Asia. He conducted scientific field studies in the fields of physics, geology, mineralogy, botany, vegetation geography, zoology, climatology, oceanography and astronomy, among others. Other areas of research included economic geography, ethnology, demography, physiology and chemistry. Alexander von Humboldt corresponded with numerous experts from various disciplines and thus created a scientific network of his own.
Alexander von Humboldt achieved extraordinary popularity in Germany, particularly with his works Ansichten der Natur (Views of Nature) and Kosmos (Cosmos). Even during his lifetime, he enjoyed a high reputation at home and abroad and was regarded as ‘the greatest natural scientist of [his] time’. The Prussian Academy of Sciences recognised him as ‘the first scientific great of his age’, whose worldwide fame even surpassed that of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The Paris Academy of Sciences gave him the nickname ‘The new Aristotle’.” [1]
On his American expedition, he reached Acapulco on 23 March 1803, marking the beginning of his one-year stay in Mexico. Back in Europe, he also reported on quinine. We quote him on this topic in our post Gin & Tonic – Part 1 – Cinchona bark, quinine and malaria.
We want to honour Alexander von Humboldt with this mixture of Mexican mezcal and quinine from South America.
Andreas commented on the Humboldt: “We love Armin’s two-piece, which has the makings of a modern classic. It’s amazing what a perfect duo Chinato and mezcal make. Once again, however, this requires products of outstanding quality and craftsmanship: Chinato, for example, must contribute a pronounced bitter note and a variety of oriental spices, while mezcal must deliver a natural smokiness (our association: a fire from well-seasoned birch wood in an open fireplace) and a velvety finish. Antica Torino and Sinai fulfil just that. We consider a mixing ratio of 5:4 (Vino Chinato to Mezcal) to be ideal, as this allows all the flavours to come into their own and the two ingredients not only reinforce each other, but actually embrace each other.” [4]
Sources