All right, I tried my hand at the Botanic Martini, which I discovered at the lovely Nord Social establishment in Midland, MI, when Ms. B. and I went there recently (see "Michigan Misadventures, Madness, and Merriment, Part 1," August 1, 2026). I couldn't find all the ingredients locally as they were listed, but I managed to come up with a pretty fine approximation of this concoction. 'Tis happier than a clam.
1 part Polish vodka
1 part Mezcal
1 part The Botanist gin
2 parts Clamato juice
splash of Angostura bitters
BIG splash of habanero sauce
Sprinkle of black pepper
Sprinkle of lemon pepper
Sprinkle of fresh dill weed
A dried red chili
If you've got cucumber, muddle some up, but I did not; I used basil (delicious!)
Actually, go ahead and add another splash of Mezcal. Load up that shaker with
ice, shake thoroughly, and pour into a chilled glass. Toss in a little extra
dill to make it look... fancy. Then pour the whole thing in your mouth*. And
ohhhh, baby. That's good.
*Sip it.
