Siesta
Katie Stipe came up with this one in 2006 at Julie Reiner’s Flatiron Lounge in New York. Her original idea was to use the Hemingway Daiquiri template and plug tequila in for the rum and Campari in for maraschino. The result is utterly delicious. This was often on the brunch menu at Fort Defiance and was a perennial favorite.
21st Century
A modern take on the 20th Century (gin, Lillet, crème de cacao, lemon), this drink cuts out the quinquina and subs tequila in for gin, serving the drink in an absinthe-rinsed glass. Jim Meehan invented this one at Pegu Club in 2007 under Audrey Saunders’ guidance. Perhaps true to the adage “what grows together goes together,” chocolate and agave spirits are happy bedfellows, as is the case here.
Naked & Famous
Joaquín Simó’s smoky, bittersweet smash-hit is still incredibly popular, perhaps even more so since mezcal’s star has risen so high since its inception in 2011. Another Death & Co. creation, it followed the Paper Plane (2008) as a modern classic that drew on the equal-parts structure of the Last Word and the Corpse Reviver No. 2.
Oaxaca Old-Fashioned
Phil Ward’s new-school take on the Old-Fashioned originated at Death & Co. in 2007 and has become a worldwide superstar in the years since. The appearance of reposado tequila and inclusion of a small measure of mezcal illustrate the changing awareness around agave spirits and its austere presentation appealed to a whole new subset of drinker. The flamed orange twist is very of its time.