"Old Sedona was my first contribution to Death and Co, and my goal was to make a very spirit-forward (yet approachable) stirred mezcal cocktail. It was heavily inspired by Alex Day's La Viña (an equal-parts blend of rye, amaro, and sherry), which I love for its bright raisiny and orange-y profile, and the OG Black Manhattan (rye and amaro). The biggest challenge was finding a proper second spirit and amaro to stand up to the mezcal, and the combination of Brandy de Jerez and Averna worked very well. (At home, you can substitute your favorite armagnac or cognac if you can't find Brandy de Jerez.) Perhaps my favorite aspect about Old Sedona is that even though the mezcal is the star of the show, the East India sherry is able to shine through and add a lot of complexity and rich fruity notes. " —FW