Division Bell Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Division Bell comes from the Last Word family of cocktails: a spirit, a liqueur and lime shaken together, with maraschino as the thread that connects them. Phil Ward is generally credited with it at the New York agave bar Mayahuel, around 2009. Mezcal brings smoke, Aperol brings orange and gentle bitterness, and maraschino adds a dry, floral cherry note.

The drink is easy to throw off balance because each modifier is assertive. Measure the maraschino exactly; even 5 ml too much and it tastes like perfume. Choose a mezcal with clear fruit under the smoke so it does not bully the Aperol. A grapefruit twist at the end ties the bitter orange to the citrus.

Ingredients

• 30 ml (1 oz) mezcal — espadín
• 22 ml (¾ oz) Aperol
• 15 ml (½ oz) maraschino liqueur — such as Luxardo
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lime juice
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking
• 1 strip grapefruit peel — for the garnish

Method

1. Chill a coupe in the freezer. Cut a wide strip of grapefruit peel with as little white pith as possible.
2. Add the mezcal, Aperol, maraschino and lime juice to the shaker, measuring each with a jigger.
3. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice and shake hard for about 10 seconds, until the tin is too cold to hold comfortably.
4. Double-strain into the coupe. The color should be a clear sunset orange.
5. Twist the grapefruit peel over the surface to spray its oils, then lay it on the rim or discard it.

Tips for success

• Taste your mezcal neat before choosing it. A bottle that tastes mostly of smoke and little fruit makes a flat Division Bell.
• Keep maraschino in a cool, dark cupboard. It does not spoil, but the aroma fades in a warm spot.
• Aperol is low in alcohol and fairly sweet. If your lime is mild, the drink can tip sweet; add 5 ml more lime rather than cutting the Aperol.

Substitutions

Mezcal

Blanco tequila makes a cleaner, less smoky drink. A 50/50 split keeps a hint of smoke.

Aperol

Campari makes it more bitter and drier; cut it to 15 ml and add 5 ml simple syrup.

Maraschino liqueur

There is no close swap. A cherry brandy is fruitier and lacks the floral, nutty edge, so use it at 10 ml if you must.

Troubleshooting

It smells soapy or perfumed

Too much maraschino. Measure it carefully and keep it at 15 ml or below.

The smoke drowns everything

Use a lighter mezcal, or split the base with blanco tequila.

It tastes thin

The ice was wet or the shake ran long. Use cold, dry ice and stop at 10 seconds.

Storage

Serve immediately after shaking. Aperol and maraschino are shelf-stable; store them closed, away from heat and light. Squeeze lime juice the same day you mix.

Safety notes

Contains mezcal plus two liqueurs, roughly 1.1 U.S. standard drinks in total (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Serve only to adults of legal drinking age, and do not drink and drive.