Give Your Old Fashioned A Smoky Makeover With One Simple Swap

The old fashioned is a classic cocktail. The drink consists of a base of rye whiskey or bourbon along with Angostura bitters, a sugar cube (or simple syrup), water, and an orange peel and cherries for garnish. It is surprisingly simple, with each flourish working to set off the warmth and sweetness of the base alcohol. It is, in a sense, the perfect template for a cocktail and a great jumping-off point for a new and improved iteration of the drink. One liquor in particular can give the drink a smoky, complex twist that breathes new life into the bar-top standard. Mezcal, the smoky counterpart to tequila, makes for a great alternative to a base of bourbon old fashioned.

Mezcal is a liquor made from smoked and distilled agave piñas (the fruit of the succulent). There's only one right way to drink mezcal, but the drink has many varieties, each with a unique and complex flavor profile. Most mezcals have an earthy, smoky taste, though the intensity of these flavors varies. Swapping your bourbon or whiskey for mezcal completely alters the drink, with the bitters and orange peel bringing a citrus twist to complement the agave-based liquor. The sugar and cherries, on the other hand, play well with that smoky note. And your old fashioned modifications don't have to stop with a change in base alcohol. There are other ways you can fully play up this unique ingredient.

If you want to play up the strengths of you mezcal old fashioned, there are a few adjustments you can make to turn it into a standout cocktail. For one, substituting the white sugar for agave nectar helps emphasize the liquor's best qualities, as both mezcal and agave nectar come from the same plant. The sweetener comes in three different levels of intensity: light, amber, and dark. Each variety has a different flavor profile. Light agave has the least distinct flavor, which is very neutral. Amber, meanwhile, has an almost caramel taste, subtle but distinctly warm. Dark agave has a more intense taste similar to molasses. Using a darker agave nectar adds to the drink's intensity and pairs well with a smokier mezcal, while a lighter variety pairs with a mild mezcal for a more refreshing take on the drink.

You can also add a dash of mole bitters (pronounced MOH-lay, a Mexican sauce), which adds a warm cinnamon and cacao twist to the drink.  The mole flavor works best with a smokier mezcal. If you're using a lighter mezcal, swaping your orange peel for a grapefruit peel is a nice twist. Just think of it as a cross between a Paloma and an old fashioned (yum).

Just remember there's no one standard for what a mezcal tastes like. But that can lead to a more personal tasting experience, making it ideal for use in a liquor-forward cocktail such as that classic of all classics, the old fashioned.