Even in the cocktail-forward South, tequila sometimes gets an unfair rep as the shot of choice for college kids, or something to hide beneath a margarita mix. But a fine tequila, such as Jalisco, Mexico’s Patrón Añejo, is aged in white oak barrels for twelve to fifteen months, and is a smooth, nuanced sipper. The oak imparts a warmth and depth reminiscent of bourbon. Just in time for the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), swap in aged tequila for bourbon in a twist on an Old Fashioned.
Tequila Old Fashioned
Ingredients
Orange peel
¼ oz. simple syrup
1 dash bitters
2 oz. Patrón Añejo (or your favorite aged tequila)
Preparation
- Over a double old fashioned glass, use a vegetable peeler to take off two strips of orange peel, making sure to express the oil into the glass. Add tequila, simple syrup, and bitters. Add ice—the biggest cube you can find—and stir. Adjust sweetness to taste.