Oaxaca Old Fashioned
Reposado tequila and mezcal stirred with agave syrup and bitters. The drink that put mezcal on American back bars.
- MethodStirred
- GlassRocks (old fashioned) glass
- IceOne large cube
- Strengthabout 26.5% ABV
- BaseTequila & mezcal
- Tastestrong, smoky, bitter
Recipe
| 45 ml 1½ oz | Tequila reposado |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Mezcal |
| 1 barspoon | Agave syrup |
| 2 dashes | Aromatic bitters (Angostura-style) |
Garnish. A wide orange peel, traditionally flamed over the glass by squeezing its oil through a lit match, then dropped in.
Method
- Put the tequila, mezcal, agave syrup and bitters in a mixing glass.
- Fill with ice and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Strain over a large cube in a chilled rocks glass.
- Flame or simply express the orange peel over the drink and drop it in.
About the Oaxaca Old Fashioned
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned follows the Old Fashioned template with agave spirits: reposado tequila for body and vanilla-tinged oak, a smaller measure of mezcal for smoke, agave syrup and bitters. It is rich, smoky and spicy, with the orange oil lifting the top. The mezcal is a seasoning, not the main event.
History
Documented
Phil Ward created the drink in 2007 at Death & Co, the East Village cocktail bar in New York. Using mezcal as a modifier alongside tequila was then unusual in American bars, and the drink's success helped make mezcal a standard ingredient. Ward went on to open Mayahuel, a New York bar devoted to agave spirits.
Variations
- Old Fashioned. The whiskey original this drink is built on.
- With chocolate bitters. Many bars now use chocolate or mole bitters in place of aromatic bitters for a darker, spicier finish.
- Naked and Famous. Another modern Death & Co classic built on mezcal, shaken with lime and liqueurs.
Bartender's notes
- Choose a mezcal with clean smoke; a very heavily smoked one will dominate the tequila.
- If flaming the peel, hold the match between peel and glass and squeeze the peel sharply; keep it away from your face.
