Remember when tequila felt dangerous? Meet mezcal, tequila’s reckless cousin. You know the one. The one who you hear started smoking at the age of 7. The one who has been tempting you to drink on school nights. A night out with him feels like the best drug trip you’ve ever been on; it comes on slow and smooth and eases you into a state of pure, ecstatic celebration, leaving you with nothing more in the morning but a slight sense of disbelief. If tequila makes her clothes fall off, mezcal undresses her with his eyes, stripping away her inhibitions and making her beg for more, harder, faster, longer, now.

So why should you get to know mezcal? Because it feels good being bad.

Allow me to introduce yourself, in three ways and with the help of my in-house mezcalero Zach-o. Which is Mexican for Zach. He gives it to you straight, and shaken, and stirred with four approachable introductions to this smokey spirit.

Learning how to drink mezcal can seem a little intimidating at first. But once you’re armed with a few, basic ideas there’s a whole new world of flavor that opens up before you.

First off, the difference between tequila and mezcal is that tequila is derived solely from the blue agave plant, whereas the species, and ways of cooking mezcal, are much more varied. Some plants that yield mezcal take 5 years to mature, others can take up to 14 years or longer. In addition, the ways to cook mezcal, whether in clay, stone, or brick ovens, can also have an intense impact on the flavor of the final product.

Some mezcaleros choose to bake in certain fruits, herbs and (yes!) meats to give their liquor its unique flavor.

Without going off the deep end, dip your toes into the mezcal pool and don’t be afraid to broaden your palate. You’ll find that the world of mezcal is much more exotic than you could have possibly imagined.

Start, here. With our Summer Mezcal Cocktails.

2 oz. Montelobos Mezcal

.5 oz fresh lime juice

.5 simple syrup

.5 fresh pressed

Shake and serve over fresh ice with a mint leaf garnish.

2 oz Montelobos Mezcal

.75 blood orange juice

.75 lime juice

.75 agave

Shake and hard pour into salted rim glass with lime garnish.

1.5 oz Montelobos Mezcal

1 oz Campari

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Stir and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with orange zest.

Pour 2 oz Montelobos Mezcal over ice. Garnish with orange zest.