Recipe

• 1.5oz mezcal (I used Del Maguey Vida)
• .5oz Ancho Reyes liqueur
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters (I used Fee’s)
• 2 dashes whiskey barrel aged bitters (Fee’s)
• (optional) barspoon of simple syrup (since the Ancho Reyes liqueur is not super sweet, this is an optional addition depending on personal sweetness preference)

Stir all ingredients together and strain over a fresh large ice cube. Add a twist of fresh orange peel.

About

If you ever feel like drinking a spirit straight but still feel that calling for a cocktail, just make yourself an Old Fashioned-style cocktail. It’s the best of both worlds, giving you the complexity and sweetness of a cocktail, yet with the full force of a strong primary spirit.

The basic template involves a base spirit (2oz), a sweetener (.25-.5oz), and a couple dashes of bitters, accented with a fresh citrus peel and served over ice. The result is as complex or simple as you want it to be, and the options are endless! This time, I was craving mezcal (slight obsession lately), so I opted for an Old Fashioned variant utilizing an Ancho chili liqueur and some fancy bitters to add some warmth and complexity. The result is smokey, spicy, and delicious.