The Vaquero’s Falsetto at La Cava del Tequila

La Cava del Tequila officially rolled out a new featured cocktail this week (on March 1st), and I had the chance to preview it on release day, thanks to an invitation from the La Cava team. And this isn’t just any featured cocktail. It’s an old fashioned (which is my drink of choice)! And it’s not just any La Cava old fashioned, either. It’s a collaboration with one of the most famous voices of Disney … Bret Iwan!

The Concept

The new drink, called The Vaquero’s Falsetto, is a collaboration with Bret Iwan, who is not only one of the most recognizable Disney voices, but is also a talented artist, a train enthusiast, and the owner of Terbeau Ranch.

The La Cava team worked with Bret to craft The Vaquero’s Falsetto based on his drink of choice – an Old Fashioned. The folks at La Cava took the typical old fashioned recipe, and made it uniquely their own (with tequila and mole bitters) and uniquely Bret’s (with rosemary from his ranch).

What’s In The Glass

The ingredients are straight-forward: Bardstown bourbon (just outside of Louisville, Kentucky), Pasote reposado tequila, mole bitters, a bourbon-infused Luxardo Maraschino cherry, and a rosemary garnish. The La Cava team went and sampled bourbons in Louisville to make sure the mix would be just right.

If you’re an old fashioned connoisseur, you’ll notice that this follows the typical old fashioned mix … except that simple syrup is instead replaced with tequila. Even if you’re not an old fashioned connoisseur, this substitution tells you something important about this drink. If you remove simple syrup (which is sweet, and not alcoholic), and replace it with tequila (which is not sweet, and is clearly alcoholic), you get a much stronger drink than you might be used to!

It’s worth noting, just like in our coverage of La Cava’s last celeb collab: this is a strong cocktail. With all of that bourbon and tequila, it’s not subtle or sweet. If your go-to La Cava order is something frozen or citrusy, this probably isn’t up your alley. But if you appreciate a good bourbon drink, this will make you very happy. The price for the Vaquero’s Falsetto is $23, and it’s well worth that cost since it’s a strong drink with high-quality ingredients.

The Vaquero’s Falsetto is served in a rocks glass with a single cube (as all old fashioneds should be). The ice is stamped with the logo of Bret’s ranch. It’s a very standard presentation with just the right amount of customization to show that this is a special drink.

My Take

I love an old fashioned. I make them for myself at home, but I love them even more when I’m at Walt Disney World. I’ve tried countless old fashioneds across WDW, so I feel like I’m uniquely qualified to taste and review … and even rank this one! And it easily goes into my top three, which is very hard to do. In no particular order, here are my top three old fashioneds on property, each for a different reason:

• The Vaquero’s Falsetto (La Cava del Tequila) – for its unique spin with that addition of tequila
• Bourbon Steak Old Fashioned (Bourbon Steak) – bacon washed russell’s reserve 6yr bourbon with smoked maple?! Come on.
• Blush and Barrel (Cake Bake) – Sazerac rye whiskey and rose bubbles simple syrup. Yum.

There are easily at least 20 other old fashioneds that I’ve tried on property that don’t make that top three, including the popular brown butter old fashioned at Geo-82!, so you know it takes a very special drink to make it onto my recommendation list. I’ll even admit that I actually had three of The Vaquero’s Falsetto (three vaquero’s falsettos?) on its debut day because I enjoyed them so much.

If your next World Showcase lap includes a refreshment break in Mexico, The Vaquero’s Falsetto is worth a stop into La Cava. It’s an exemplary old fashioned made even more special by the thought and design that went into it, and by its ties to one of Disney’s biggest stars.

And if you like the drink as much as I do, the official rocks glass is even available for purchase from Terbeau Ranch!

Does this drink sound like something you’d enjoy? Which Disney celebrity do you want to see a drink collaboration with?