🌵 Oaxacan Old Fashioned

Reposado tequila, mezcal, agave nectar, and mole bitters — the Death & Co creation that put mezcal on the map.

4 min
Serves 1
Stirred
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz Reposado tequila
  • ½ oz Mezcal (lightly smoky — Del Maguey Vida or Banhez work well)
  • 1 bar spoon Agave nectar
  • 2 dashes Mole bitters (Bittermens or Fee Brothers — or Angostura in a pinch)
  • Flamed orange peel to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Combine in mixing glassAdd reposado tequila, mezcal, agave nectar, and mole bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. 2
    Add ice and stirFill with ice and stir for 25–30 seconds.
  3. 3
    Strain over large rockStrain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube.
  4. 4
    Flame the orange peelHold a piece of orange peel skin-side down over a match or lighter flame. Squeeze the peel sharply so the oils spray through the flame onto the drink — you'll see a small flash and hear a faint sizzle. The caramelised oils settle on the drink's surface.
  5. 5
    Drop in peelDrop the expressed peel into the glass.

The Drink That Made Mezcal Cool

The Oaxacan Old Fashioned was created by Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York City in 2007. Death & Co opened that year and became ground zero for the American cocktail renaissance. Ward's invention — swapping American whiskey for an agave split, using agave nectar instead of sugar, and specifying mole bitters — was one of the first cocktails to treat mezcal as a serious spirit rather than just a smoky novelty.

The drink demonstrates why the 50/50 agave split works: reposado tequila provides the elegant barrel-aged base with vanilla and dried fruit, while the mezcal's smoke adds depth without overwhelming. It's less assertive than a full-mezcal cocktail and more interesting than a pure-tequila one. Mole bitters — made with chilli, cacao, and spices — echo Oaxaca's famous mole negro sauce.

Variations

🥃 Full Mezcal Version

Use 2 oz mezcal instead of the split. More smoke, more challenging, and very good with a heavily peated expression like Del Maguey San Luis del Río.

🌶️ With Chocolate Bitters

Replace mole bitters with Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters (if different brands available) or Scrappy's Chocolate bitters. Richer cacao note.

🍊 Citrus Variation

Add 2 dashes of orange bitters alongside the mole bitters. Brightens the drink and amplifies the flamed peel garnish.

Related
🍸 Cocktails A–Z Browse all 72 classic recipes 🌵 Tequila & Mezcal Phil Ward's mezcal-and-tequila split-base 🥃 Old Fashioned The whiskey original 🌵 Mezcal Negroni The other great modern mezcal cocktail