MEZCAL PHOENIX

Choose a quality, smoky mezcal for this drink, such as Mezcal Agua Santa (LCBO 14660, $63.05). Buy granular Ontario maple sugar (well.ca has several brands), or use a microplane to shave fine, soft maple dust from a block of solid maple sugar from Sixty Six Brix (sixtysixbrix.com). Make your own Maple Lollipops (recipe follows) or find maple lollipops in various colours and shapes from verycanadian.ca or amazon.ca.

Wedge of lime or orange, for rims

Maple sugar, for rims

2 1/2 oz mezcal

2 1/2 oz blood orange juice (from 1 to 2 blood oranges), pulp strained out

1 oz Campari

1 oz Dark maple syrup

2 Maple Lollipops, for garnish

1 Chill 2 rocks glasses in freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove and run citrus wedge around rims, then dip rims in a saucer of maple sugar to coat. Return to freezer.

2 Combine mezcal, blood orange juice, Campari and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker half-full of ice. Shake for about 10 seconds, until thoroughly chilled.

3 Remove glasses from freezer and fill with ice. Strain mixture into glasses and garnish with maple lollipops, if desired.

Makes 2 drinks

MAPLE LOLLIPOPS

Firmly pack a rimmed baking sheet full of fresh, clean snow or crushed ice (pulse cubes in a blender) and smooth the top flat. Keep in freezer. In a large saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) maple syrup to a boil over medium heat, until a candy thermometer reads 240°F (115°C or hard ball stage). Remove baking sheet from freezer. Pour syrup into a heatproof measuring cup or use a small heatproof ladle to drizzle syrup in thick lines across the width of the baking sheet. Let set for about 15 to 30 seconds, then, working quickly, roll wooden skewers, chopsticks or paper or wood lollipop or frozen-pop sticks through the lines to make maple pops. Cool. Use immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container, on a bed of dry rice, for up to a week.

Makes 8 to 9 lollipops