Old-Fashioned

Oaxaca Old Fashioned

5 min.Reposado Tequila

Chill an Old Fashioned glass
1
Add the reposado tequila, mezcal, agave nectar and Angostura bitters to a mixing glass.
2
Fill the mixing glass with cold ice.
3
Stir until the mixture is well chilled and properly diluted.
4
Place one large clear ice cube in the glass.
5
Strain the drink from the mixing glass into the Old Fashioned glass over the large ice cube.
6
Cut a wide strip of orange peel, avoiding too much pith.
7
Hold the orange peel over the drink with the outer side facing down, pass a flame between the peel and the drink to ignite the expressed oils, then squeeze to flame the oils onto the surface.
8
Drop the flamed orange twist into the glass and serve immediately.
9

United States
Origin
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned was created in 2007 by bartender Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York City, during the early years of the modern craft-cocktail renaissance. Conceived as an agave-based riff on the classic whiskey Old Fashioned, it blends reposado tequila and mezcal with agave nectar and bitters. The drink became closely associated with Ward’s later agave-focused bar Mayahuel and is widely regarded as a modern classic that helped popularize mezcal in cocktails.
History
The drink is named after Oaxaca, a Mexican state strongly associated with traditional mezcal production. Professional sources credit the Oaxaca Old Fashioned with helping to kick off the mezcal craze in the United States by showing it could work harmoniously in cocktails. Difford’s Guide notes an early metric formulation of the recipe using 45 ml reposado tequila, 15 ml mezcal, 7.5 ml agave syrup, and 1 dash Angostura bitters, illustrating minor house-to-publication variations. Many modern versions substitute chocolate or mole-style bitters for Angostura, but Death & Co’s own published spec preserves Angostura as the original choice.
Trivia
Smoky grilled meats, Dark chocolate desserts, Roasted nuts, Aged cheeses
Pairings
Phil Ward (Death & Co Market)
Source