Oaxaca Old Fashioned

Alessandro Scire Calabrisotto

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned is the drink that taught a generation of bartenders to reach for agave instead of whiskey. Rich, smoky and deeply satisfying, it reimagines the most venerable cocktail of all by building it on reposado tequila and mezcal, sweetened with agave and seasoned with mole bitters. It is, quite simply, one of the most important cocktails of the modern era — and one of the most delicious.

History of the Oaxaca Old Fashioned

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned was created in 2007 by Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York's East Village. Taking the classic Old Fashioned template — spirit, sugar, bitters — Ward replaced the customary whiskey with a combination of reposado tequila and smoky mezcal, used agave nectar in place of sugar, and reached for mole bitters to add warmth and spice.

It became one of Death & Co's most-ordered and most-imitated drinks of all time. More than that, it proved genuinely influential: at a moment when mezcal was still largely unknown to American drinkers, the Oaxaca Old Fashioned showed how thrillingly its smoke could work in a familiar format. It is widely credited with accelerating the agave revolution behind the bar and inspiring countless Old Fashioned variations in its wake. Ward's original called for El Tesoro reposado and Del Maguey San Luis del Rio mezcal — a pairing prized for its balance of richness and smoke.

Recipe: How to Make a Classic Oaxaca Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

  • 45 ml (1.5 oz) reposado tequila
  • 15 ml (0.5 oz) mezcal
  • 7.5 ml (0.25 oz) agave nectar
  • 2 dashes mole bitters

Instructions:

  1. Add the reposado tequila, mezcal, agave nectar and mole bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. Fill with ice and stir for around 20 to 30 seconds, until well chilled.
  3. Strain over a large ice cube in a chilled rocks glass.
  4. Express the oils from a strip of orange peel over the drink.
  5. Flame the orange peel for theatre, if you like, then drop it in to garnish.

Tips for Perfection:

  • Stir, never shake — this is a spirit-forward drink that should be silky and clear, not aerated.
  • Mole bitters are key to the original character; they add a subtle chocolate-and-spice depth that ties everything together.
  • Use a single large ice cube to keep dilution slow and the drink strong and cold.

Additional Recommendations

Variations:

  • All-mezcal version — build it entirely on mezcal for a bolder, smokier sip.
  • Anejo upgrade — use anejo tequila for a richer, oak-driven profile.
  • Coffee twist — a dash of coffee or chocolate bitters deepens the after-dinner appeal.

Pairings:

  • Dark chocolate or a mole-sauced dish, echoing the bitters.
  • Grilled meats with a charred, smoky crust.
  • Aged Manchego or other nutty Spanish cheeses.

Presentation:

  • Serve over one large, clear ice cube in a heavy rocks glass.
  • A flamed orange twist makes a dramatic, aromatic finishing flourish.

Curiosity: A Fun Fact About the Oaxaca Old Fashioned

So beloved is the Oaxaca Old Fashioned that it is routinely cited as the single most requested and most copied cocktail in Death & Co's history — no small feat for a bar regarded as one of the most influential of the 21st century.

Sources

Back to blog