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. The traditional whiskey is replaced with tequila or mezcal, and sugar by agave nectar. This cocktail is bright and smoky, which lends itself to the high-quality agave spirits. Another common swap? Angostura is replaced by chocolate or Mole bitters to further enhance the Oaxaca theme. Ward tops off the cocktail with an orange flame twist, which further accentuates the smokiness.
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You can also find out more about the following: 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…
