Loaded Pistol Cocktail Recipe

The Loaded Pistol combines mezcal, sweet Italian vermouth, and herbal-rich Strega with a touch of grapefruit bitters for brightness. This modern cocktail was created in 2019 by Erick Castro at the acclaimed bar Polite Provisions in San Diego. It’s a stirred, spirit-forward sipper that roots itself in the traditions of mezcal while leaning into the territory of European herbal liqueurs. 

The drink’s most noteworthy ingredient is its garnish. Castro’s original version used a rim of so-called “sal de chapulín” (sea salt blended with dried grasshoppers) as a nod to the rich culinary traditions of Oaxaca. In Oaxaca, chapulines are typically roasted with chile and lime and eaten as a crunchy snack. The effect of this garnish is playful, while still keeping the drink grounded in the centuries-old practice of agave cultivation.

Within that smoky, sweet, herbal frame, the Loaded Pistol has become a modern reference point for mezcal-based stirred cocktails, often cited in lists of essential agave drinks. 

Why the Loaded Pistol works

The Loaded Pistol is a mezcal-based cousin of the Negroni. Both are crisp, stirred, and built on vermouth and herbal liqueurs. Mezcal, the base spirit in this drink, brings cooked agave complexity, smoke, and structure. Sweet vermouth adds weight and a red fruit and cola-like sweetness. 

Strega, a saffron-colored Italian liqueur flavored with mint, fennel, and over seventy other herbs, threads everything together with its bright, floral sweetness. A dash of grapefruit bitters keeps the drink lively with a pop of citrus zest.

The grasshopper infused salt is more than just a curiosity or cultural nod. Its addition adds an earthy, savory note that perfectly balances the sweetness of the liqueurs and the minerality of the mezcal.