Mango-Mezcal Paloma

• Recipe by Sean Beck

Mixologists like Sean Beck at Houston's Backstreet Café are enamored with small-batch mezcals for the alluring smokiness they add to cocktails, as in Beck's riff on the paloma, a popular Mexican refresher.

Ingredients

1. Ice
2. 1 1/2 ounces mezcal
3. 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
4. 6 ounces mango soda, preferably R.W. Knudsen (available at Whole Foods)
5. Small pinch pure chili powder
6. 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add the mezcal, lime juice, mango soda and chili powder. Stir and strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the cilantro.