Drink Crush: Amado Nervo at Clavel

Cooper and I went to Clavel in Remington last week and I loved everything, from the ceviche to the tacos. But the love I had for the Amado Nervo was, well, bordering on obsessive.

Clavel is a mezcaleria, so it's not shocking that the drink includes El Buho mezcal, which is made mostly from the espadin variety of the agave plant, Prioriat Natur vermouth, rose cava, lime and raw cilantro honey syrup. The glass is rimmed with chunky black sea salt.

The drink looks like green juice, smells like a whole lawn full of fresh-cut cilantro, and tastes...magical.

Given the intensity of the cilantro aroma, and the bright color, I expected a mouthful of greenery - but that's not what I got. This might be the most well-balanced drink I've ever had and I'm guessing that honey syrup has something to do with it.

It's sweet and fresh - but not too sweet or fresh - and the mezcal gives it just the tiniest bit of bite. I know a lot of people think they don't like mezcal, but this could be the drink to change your mind.

Really, any trip to Clavel could change your mind. There's more mezcal there than in the rest of the city combined, I think, and they know how to talk about it and what to do with it. The atmosphere is exceedingly laid back and the food is wonderful. You should really go. I'm just upset I waited so long.