Oaxaca Old Fashioned
ClassicAgave and smoke, stirred like a classic.
Warm, smoky, and spirit-forward. Reposado brings roasted agave, vanilla, and gentle oak; a measure of mezcal lays smoldering woodsmoke beneath it; agave rounds the sweetness, and Angostura threads baking spice throughout. The flamed orange peel finishes it with a whisper of caramelized citrus. Deep and contemplative.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Reposado Tequila
- 0.5 oz Mezcal
- 1 tsp Agave Syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Orange peel · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Add the reposado tequila, mezcal, agave syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
- 2
Stir until well-chilled, about 30 seconds.
- 3
Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
- 4
Flame an orange peel over the surface and drop it in.
The Story
Phil Ward built the Oaxaca Old Fashioned around 2007 while tending bar at Death & Co in New York, then carried it to Mayahuel, his agave-focused bar. His insight was simple and lasting: treat tequila and mezcal the way the classics treat whiskey, and split the base so reposado's smooth backbone carries mezcal's campfire smoke. Sweetened with a touch of agave and lifted by a flamed orange peel, it proved agave spirits belonged in the spirit-forward canon — and became the modern template for the mezcal cocktail.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
