Hats off to the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. More than a simple twist, it is the variation that — almost single-handedly — helped propel mezcal into the spotlight of contemporary mixology.
The Story of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned
To understand the importance of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned, it helps to remember that in the mid-2000s few people knew mezcal well, fewer appreciated it, and almost no one had a clear idea of how to use it in a cocktail.
The turning point arrived in New York City, one of the great capitals of modern mixology, a place capable of nurturing a trend and sending it around the world. On New Year’s Eve between 2006 and 2007, the bar Death & Co opened its doors—soon to become an institution of the craft cocktail movement. Behind the bar stood bartender Phil Ward, and it was he who created the Oaxaca Old Fashioned.
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Mezcal
Throughout 2007, Ward began experimenting with mezcal, a spirit he knew only partially but suspected held remarkable potential. He tasted, took notes and ran tests, eventually incorporating it into two Daiquiri variations. Then came the Oaxaca Old Fashioned.
One evening he served the drink to a regular guest—one of those patrons who did not come to Death & Co for familiar cocktails but rather to be among the first to try something new. The response was immediate. Within a short time the Oaxaca Old Fashioned earned a prominent place on the bar’s drink list.
Ward’s recipe uses far more tequila than mezcal. Many observers later considered this a strategic balance that helped introduce mezcal to a wider audience: the spirit appeared within a cocktail where it played alongside a more familiar distillate—tequila—making the experience approachable rather than intimidating.
A Name That Explains Everything
A cocktail needs a name before it reaches the guest, yet the exact origin of this one remains somewhat uncertain. It was likely coined by Dave Kaplan, co-founder of Death & Co together with Ravi DeRossi.
In any case, the naming required little effort. The Old Fashioned provided the structural template, while the twist replaced bourbon with tequila and mezcal, along with agave syrup. Oaxaca, meanwhile, refers to the southern Mexican state where much of the world’s mezcal is produced—the very spirit Phil Ward had been exploring behind the bar.
The result is a name that explains itself. It clearly signals what the drink is, making it easy to understand and easy to remember. That clarity has played no small role in the enduring success of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned.
The Oaxaca Old Fashioned Recipe
The following is Phil Ward’s original recipe, as documented in Robert Simonson’s book dedicated to the Old Fashioned.
Ingredients
• 45 ml tequila reposado
• 15 ml mezcal
• 7.5 ml agave syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
Method
Place a single large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Add all ingredients and stir until properly chilled and diluted.
Garnish
Express an orange peel over the glass, igniting the oils briefly over a lit match so they flare for a moment, then rest the peel on top of the ice cube.
Photo by Emanuel Florentin x Coqtail, location Bob Milano – all rights reserved
