It’s been nonstop lately. I was sick with a perpetual cough for 2 weeks, but of course life didn’t stop then, nor did it slow down as I got better – I had coworkers visiting from out of town, client meetings, a program manager leaving, a new girl starting, a doggy birthday for a friend, there were art exhibits we just couldn’t miss, it’s the end of the fiscal year so clients want to bang out a bunch of last minute projects to use up budget (never a bad thing)… and on top of all that, we started house hunting. It’s just been little crazy.

So here to inspire some calmness is a Shaker & Spoon cocktail called the Old Oaxaca. Oaxaca is one of the most isolated parts of Mexico, where half the population speaks a variety of indigenous languages instead of Spanish. This is a place where life is slow and old customs live on. The Old Oaxaca is a tequila cocktail recipe inspired by the simplicity and purity of this region.
Here’s what you need:

• 1/8 oz agave syrup
• 2 dashes mole bitters
• 1 dash hellfire tincture
• 1 lemon swath
• 2 oz tequila blanco

I absolutely love Patron Silver… tequila kind of scares me but this is so smooth and totally worth the extra cost to avoid the insane life-destroying hangover that lower end brands can leave you the next day.

Here’s how you mix the cocktail:

• Add all of the liquid ingredients to a dry mixing glass.
• Fill the glass with ice and use a bar spoon to stir 20 rotations
• Strain into a rocks glass (a shorter, wider glass) over fresh cubed ice.
• To garnish, create a lemon swath by taking a knife or peeler and slice or peel off a small section of the lemon’s zest. Wipe the lemon swath along the rim of the glass, then gently wring it once above the glass before placing it in the drink.

I’m totally down for slow Oaxacan living after these last several weeks. Wish me luck on finding a dream home. We’re looking all over Los Angeles for a little home so we can spend more time lounging around making cocktails in our living room. By the way, Shaker & Spoon is giving Agency Addicts readers 10% off – so if you subscribe to their fabulous cocktail subscription box, make sure to use our special code: AGENCY10

All ingredients for the Old Oaxaca cocktail, except for the tequila, came in the Shaker & Spoon Agave Blanco Box.

Drink responsibly.