While now it’s standard to see tequila and mezcal used in place of whiskey in cocktails, one drink is credited with accelerating that trend. Invented by Phil Ward at the East Village’s Death & Co in 2007, the Oaxaca Old Fashioned swiftly made its way onto cocktail menus around the country, ultimately becoming a popular modern classic. To this day, the cocktail is one of the legendary bar’s most-ordered drinks of all time.
As its name suggests, Ward’s cocktail is a reimagined Old Fashioned. It calls on both tequila and mezcal in place of the traditional whiskey, and agave nectar for the sugar. The result is a pleasingly smoky and bright cocktail that especially lends to high-quality versions of the agave spirits. Another frequent swap? Mole or chocolate bitters instead of Angostura, which further leans into the Oaxaca vibes. To top it all off, Ward finishes the cocktail with a flamed orange twist that further accentuates its smokiness.
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In A Proper Drink, which features Ward’s recipe, cocktail writer Robert Simonson declares that the Oaxaca Old Fashioned “opened the American mixology world’s eyes to the potential of using tequila and mezcal in cocktails.” He acknowledges that people had used tequila in Old Fashioneds long before Ward, but unlikely alongside mezcal, and with such finesse. “It has inspired countless imitations, with different names, but essentially the same recipe,” Simonson writes.
Ward’s original recipe calls for a reposado tequila (specifically,
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
