Recipe

• 1.5oz reposado tequila (I used Herencia)
• .5oz mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
• 1tsp agave nectar
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters (I used Fee Brothers, but Angostura bitters works too)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large cube, and flame an orange peel over it.

About

Because I just can’t get away from Old Fashioneds (the perfect cocktail!), here’s another variation featuring the agave spirits – the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. This drink was created by Phil Ward at the famed NYC Death and Co bar and is composed of reposado tequila and mezcal as its base, paired with bitters and agave nectar, and with a flamed orange peel to seal the deal.

And while we’re here, a few words on the agave family: agave is a species of large spiky leafy plants native to Mexico and surrounding areas. From the core of the plant, you can extract the nectar, which is about 1.5x sweeter than sugar. Both tequila and mezcal are also produced from the core of the agave plants, the difference being the species of agave, the regions of production, and the method of production. The smoky flavor of mezcal is attributed to the unique production process where the agave is smoked underground for days. For more on agave spirits, check em out here.