Oaxaca Old Fashioned

It will, but it comes out sharper and more vegetal, and you lose the vanilla that lets the drink stand in for a whiskey Old Fashioned. If blanco is what you have, back the mezcal down to 10 ml so the smoke doesn't have the whole glass to itself.

Three parts tequila to one part mezcal is the working ratio, and it's smoke as seasoning rather than subject. Mezcals vary enormously: a supermarket espadín sits politely at 15 ml, while a tobalá or a pechuga at the same measure will take the drink over completely.

Thin agave nectar with an equal amount of warm water first. Full-strength nectar is heavy enough that it never really combines, and you get a harsh first mouthful and a syrupy last one. Demerara syrup also works and pushes things toward molasses, which is pleasant but no longer really an agave drink.

It's the traditional finish and it does change the drink. Squeezing a wide peel through a lit match caramelizes the oils, and that burnt-orange note lines up with the mezcal instead of fighting it. A plain twist is fine. Just don't hold the flame long enough to scorch the pith.

A classic Oaxaca Old Fashioned calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Mezcal, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Agave syrup, 1 dash Angostura Angostura bitters. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Oaxaca Old Fashioned is roughly 36% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

An Oaxaca Old Fashioned is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.