Sometimes, it seems that the old sayings are unintentionally insightful. Take ‘What’s your poison?’

In the huge selection of alcoholic beverages that confront you at any good bar, there are usually a few you know you should avoid. Here, it’s often the bitter aftertaste of experience that speaks the loudest – perhaps the memory of those two bottles of Passion Pop you consumed in a bus shelter as a teenager.

Over the years, my version of ‘What’s your poison?’ has become more ‘Know your poison’. I’ve observed that beer makes me rambunctious, playful and keen to wrestle. Champagne makes me happy… until it makes me bilious. Good gin makes me relaxed rather than maudlin (as is its reputation) and whisky makes me thoughtful and want to wear tweed. Likewise, I know that a dirty vodka martini is the perfect tipple for taking the edge off.

The one thing I know I need to avoid is tsipouro. This Greek grape-distilled spirit makes me more ornery than a cranky mountain goat, and quite likely to pick a fight with you about anything from the quality of thistles to Democratic fiscal policy.

The other spirit I (mostly) treat with the greatest respect is tequila’s bigger, more sophisticated (but far more dangerous) brother, who tastes like he’s spent the night drinking cigars in some questionable Jalisco dive bar – mezcal. There is a saying that mezcal either loves you or hates you, and you’ll only find out which on the morning after. Thankfully, it loves me, but it does make me muy loca on the way there. Especially if I’ve consumed it the traditional way, as shots.

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To my mind, and for the peace of mind of my fellow party guests, my usual partner for mezcal is fresh grapefruit juice in a simplified play on the Paloma. This can then be lengthened with soda, sweetened with agave syrup or spiked with a little lime juice and pinch of smoked salt.

The Paloma, originally made with tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda, was reportedly invented back in the 1950s by Don Javier Delgado Corona, the original owner of La Capilla bar. This 70-year bar veteran, from the Mexican town of Tequila that gives the spirit its name, also claims the Batanga (tequila, coke and lime) as another of his creations.

You can always make another classic Mexican cocktail with mezcal rather than tequila – one long classed as the most popular cocktail in the world… the margarita. 

While the negroni has had its time as the favourite cocktail at delicious.com.au over the past year, only one drink has made it into our overall top recipe searches and that’s the margarita. (Even though mezcal is one of the fastest risers).

It seems as if the renewed popularity of the margarita is coming hand in glove with a booming interest in Mexican food. Our gallery, ‘50 Mexican recipes for your weekend fiesta ’, has been viewed more than one million times in the last 12 months.

With you already well served for savoury Mexican-inspired recipes on our website, I thought I might instead share a recipe created for the great Australian actor Lachy Hulme when we shared a wardrobe and a nine-hour dinner when filming Celebrity GoggleBox that time. It was perfect for awakening a palate jaundiced from watching too much bad TV.

Make Matt’s spicy mezcal paloma cocktail here.

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