Long before the show Mad Men made them popular again, cocktail aficionados knew that the Old Fashioned is a great way to enjoy whiskey and bourbon. But they can often be either a bit too spirits forward or too sugary sweet. This is our take on a ‘comfort food Old Fashioned’. A softer version that is not too sweet with the bourbon flavor still coming through.
Drink
- Cut a thick slice of orange, remove any center pith, cut the slice in half, and place both halves in a double rocks glass
- Muddle the orange slices to release most the juice
- Add 2-3 dashes of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters
- Add 1/4 oz of Rich Turbinado Syrup*
- Add a splash (1 oz) of Diet 7-Up
- Pick up the glass and swirl it by hand to combine the 7-Up, juice, syrup, and bitters
- Tilt the glass to the point it is almost spilling and then rotate it, coating the glass with the mixture
- Set the glass back down and add ice (one large cube is best)
- Pour 1 oz Maker’s Mark bourbon slowly over the ice
- Pour 1 oz Apple-Vanilla Infused Bourbon** slowly over the ice
- Give a few gentle stirs
- Garnish with a Luxardo Cherry on a pick
- Add a very small drizzle of cherry juice onto the ice
*Rich Turbinado Syrup
- Put 1-1/2 cups of turbinado sugar in a pan
- Add 3/4 cup of water
- 1 pinch of salt
- Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved
- Allow to cool and refrigerate with 1/2 oz of vodka
**Apple-Vanilla Infused Bourbon
- In a 1 quart pitcher (2 quarts for a double batch) place one fresh vanilla bean (grade B is fine), split lengthwise with a knife
- Take 3 Granny Smith Apples, wash them, and cut each into 6-8 wedges (removing the core and stem)
- Add the wedges (with skin) to the pitcher
- Add 2 cups of Makers Mark Bourbon
- Cover the pitcher and refrigerate it for 3 days
- Strain the infused bourbon with a paper coffee filter, bottle it, and store in a cool dark place (should keep for 1-2 months)
Note, for a double batch, use two times the bourbon and apples but only use 1-1/2 vanilla beans.
Be sure to taste a little of the bourbon on its own. It is pretty tasty sipped slowly on a little ice!
