Oaxaca Old Fashioned

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned is a variation on a classic Old Fashioned with a split base of tequila and mezcal. It’s rumored that the cocktail was created as a way to introduce the smoky flavors of mezcal to the American palate.

Read on to learn all the tips and tricks for making this Old Fashioned variation. Or just grab your cocktail shaker, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a mezcal and tequila Old Fashioned cocktail!

Ingredients

Tequila is an agave-based spirit from only certain regions of Mexico (like Champagne and Prosecco must come from certain regions). It’s best to use a reposado tequila in this mezcal and tequila Old Fashioned – that’s a tequila aged in oak barrels for two to twelve months

Mezcal is also an agave-based spirit, but it’s from different regions of Mexico than tequila. It is indeed produced in the state of Oaxaca, which is also known for mole.

Agave nectar subs in as the sweetener in place of the sugar cube or sugar syrup in a classic Old Fashioned. I like the extra flavor it adds in this Oaxaca old-fashioned cocktail and in my blue mojito.

Bitters are the “seasoning” of a cocktail. This mezcal and tequila Old Fashioned really shines with a dash of chocolate or mole bitters and orange bitters.

Recipe tips and tricks

The mezcal and tequila Old Fashioned uses the same cocktail formula as classic Old Fashioned or Manhattan cocktails. That’s two ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey, a sweetener, and a few dashes of bitters served in a rocks glass over a large ice cube.

There’s nothing tricky about making a Oaxaca Old Fashioned with tequila and mezcal. Add your liquors, agave nectar, and bitters to a cocktail shaker and stir with ice. Strain and garnish.

Related cocktail recipes

Check out other Mexican-inspired cocktail recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like: