New York City bartender Phil Ward’s iconic Oaxaca Old Fashioned became a staple on Death & Co’s cocktail list in 2007, propelling mezcal and reposado tequila into the mixology stratosphere. Ward’s version saw the standard Old Fashioned’s bourbon base replaced with the two Mexican spirits. Two decades on, it’s the inspiration behind The House That Love Built, created by Thomas Howard, bar manager of The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne’s glitzy rooftop bar, Cameo.
“I…

