Terrible Love, a cocktail recipe featuring mezcal, Suze and St Germain

Sometimes love can be good. Sometimes love can be bad. And sometimes love can be terrible.

Cocktail great Phil Ward (who created this drink) knew it, and so did the National (whose song inspirited its name). 

Perhaps that's why Terrible Love is a cocktail that leans into bittersweet complexity — messy, raw, and unforgettable. It doesn’t shy away from intensity; instead, it embraces it, much like the song it’s named after, with layers that pull you in deeper with every sip.

At its heart is mezcal, unapologetically bold and smoky, the embodiment of passion that smolders long after the glass is empty. It’s fierce, earthy, and impossible to ignore. Suze adds a sharp, bitter edge, a nod to heartbreak and longing, with its bright, rooty bite that lingers on the palate like words left unsaid.

But love isn’t all burn and bitterness. There’s sweetness too, and that’s where St. Germain steps in—soft, floral, and fleeting. It balances the darker elements. A dash of orange bitters sharpens the edges, while a grapefruit twist adds a breath of citrus, bright but fleeting.

Terrible Love is not built for everyone. But for those who crave something with depth, a little grit, and an unapologetic sense of self, this cocktail delivers. 

It’s a drink that feels like heartbreak and heat, sharpness and sweetness—a love story poured over ice.