Swap the whiskey in an Old Fashioned for aged tequila, add a small measure of mezcal, and the drink suddenly smells of roasted agave and campfire. A flamed orange peel over the top adds a toasty citrus note before the first sip.
1½ oz
reposado tequila 100% agavee.g. Don Julio · Patrón · Herradura · Espolòn · El Jimador
½ oz
mezcal a joven espadíne.g. Del Maguey · Montelobos · Ilegal · Vida · 400 Conejos
1 bar spoon
agave syrup
2 dash
Angostura bittersBuy on Amazon →
Garnish: Flamed orange twist · Ice: One large cube
Oaxaca Old Fashioned
Rounded vanilla and cooked agave from the reposado, gentle smoke from the mezcal and a warm, spiced finish. Strong and silky, with only a hint of sweetness.
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned was created by Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York in 2007. Ward took the classic Old Fashioned template of spirit, sugar and bitters and built it on reposado tequila, with a smaller measure of mezcal for smoke and agave syrup in place of sugar.
The drink is often cited as one of the cocktails that helped push mezcal into mainstream cocktail bars. Ward later opened Mayahuel in the East Village, a bar devoted to tequila and mezcal. Today the recipe is a standard on bar menus worldwide and the usual introduction for people who are curious about mezcal but wary of a full measure.
Phil Ward created it at Death & Co in New York in 2007.
Yes, but it becomes a plain tequila Old Fashioned. The mezcal supplies the smoke that gives the drink its character.
It is almost all spirit, roughly 30 to 34% ABV after stirring, so treat it like any other Old Fashioned.
The perfect sound
Slow, smoky and full of heartfelt longing.
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