Place the Old Fashioned glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill it with ice water while preparing the cocktail to lightly chill the glass. Discard the ice water before serving.

Add ingredients to mixing glass

In a mixing glass, combine 2 oz reposado tequila, 0.5 oz orange liqueur, 0.25 oz agave syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters (if using).

Stir with ice

Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir gently with a bar spoon for about 20–30 seconds (15–20 full rotations) until well chilled and slightly diluted. The goal is to integrate ingredients and chill without over-diluting.

Prepare glass and ice

Place one large ice cube (or 2-3 large cubes) into the chilled Old Fashioned glass.

Strain

Using a strainer, pour the chilled cocktail from the mixing glass over the large ice cube in the Old Fashioned glass.

Oil the orange peel

Take an orange peel and hold it skin-side down about 3–4 inches above the cocktail. Gently squeeze the peel to express the citrus oils over the surface of the drink, then rub the peel around the rim of the glass.

Garnish and serve

Drop the expressed orange peel into the glass as a garnish. Serve immediately.

Tools / Notes

If you prefer a slightly sweeter cocktail, increase agave syrup to 0.5 oz. For a drier profile, omit the agave and use only the orange liqueur and bitters. Use reposado tequila for a balanced oak-and-agave flavor; añejo will be richer and blanco brighter and cleaner.

To make a small batch (4 servings), multiply ingredient quantities by 4 and stir in a suitably sized mixing vessel with plenty of ice, then strain into four glasses each with a large cube and an orange twist.