It’s the end of Old Fashioned Week. I just learned that Old Fashioned Week is a promotion from Elijah Craig so my using Elijah Craig bourbon in the second drink is completely coincidence. Having said that, I do love Elijah Craig bourbon. It’s affordable, delicious, and I am a fan of the lower proof bourbons. The current bottle I am pouring is a private barrel from Pascale’s Liquors and it’s coming in at 94 proof.
Let’s get into each old fashioned.
First up is the peanut butter bourbon and maple syrup old fashioned. I took a bottle of Jim Beam Black and a jar of salted, natural peanut butter and “fat-washed” it by soaking the bourbon in the peanut butter for 24 hours. Opening that container after one day of the bourbon and peanut butter soaking was quite the experience. I double filtered the bourbon and was left with 300 ml. of peanut butter flavored bourbon.
Here’s the recipe:
1/2 oz. Maple Syrup
2 oz. Peanut Butter Bourbon – you can use something like Screwball, but it’s far too sweet, in my opinion. And while you could tone down the maple syrup, I’d recommend trying your own peanut butter fat-washed bourbon.
2-5 dashes of bitters depending on your palette.
Add these ingredients and ice to a stirring crystal and stir for 20-30 seconds.
Pour over ice and serve in a rocks glass.
Next is the pumpkin spice old fashioned. For this pumpkin spice syrup, I simply took some pumpkin butter, simple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice and stir that together. It’s a very simple pumpkin spice syrup that gets the flavor without a long process. Making the pumpkin spice syrup this way also helps you make just the amount you need for the cocktail.
Here’s the recipe:
1/2 oz. Pumpkin spice syrup
2 oz. Elijah Craig bourbon
2-5 dashes bitters depending on your palette.
Add these ingredients and ice to a stirring crystal and stir for 20-30 seconds.
Pour over ice and serve in a rocks glass with an orange twist.
Finally, we have a classic old fashioned made with Buffalo trace Bourbon.
I love a classic old fashioned made with a sugar cube and Buffalo Taco bourbon. Buffalo trace clocks in at 90 proof and helps make a balanced old fashioned.
Here’s the recipe:
Take 1 sugar cube
3-4 dashes of bitters
Bar spoon or splash of water or club soda in a stirring crystal and gently muddle.
Add 2 oz, of Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Add ice to stirring crystal and stir for 20-30 seconds.
Pour over ice in a rocks glass and add an orange twist.
I absolutely love the simplicity of an old fashioned. I do not prefer the muddled orange and cherry in an old fashioned, and I hope you don’t either. Don’t settle for crappy cocktails. I like the simplicity of an orange twist.
If you’re looking for a premium selection of wines and spirits, make sure to check out our friends at Pascale’s here in Syracuse. I use Barfly Mixology gear here at the studio bar and absolutely love using their crafted gear.
