Old-fashioned like the smooth burn of Kentucky bourbon
Dashingly bitter with a citrus zing.
That’s my ode to an old-fashioned…old-fashioned ode? Whatever, anyway I once heard a wise person say that the ability to make a good old-fashioned is the mark of a great bartender. A great bartender I am not, to be honest I’ve not yet attained the rank of bad bartender. I’m just more of a consumer that has developed a taste for old-fashioneds. I have attempted to make them at home from time to time and always come up short. However, after a recent daytrip to a distillery in Western Washington I found the secret to a great homemade old-fashioned. The key ingredient happened to be Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup from Woodinville Whiskey Company. For the bourbon I used their Woodinville Straight Bourbon. And before all the Kentucky purists and whiskey aficionados gather outside my house with pitchforks and torches, I do realize that real bourbon comes from Kentucky. However, since Woodinville Whiskey Company dares to call their product bourbon, who am I to argue. So, without further ado here is my recipe for what I am calling a Washington Maple Syrup Old-Fashioned.
3 oz Woodinville Straight Bourbon
½ tbs Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup (I do like my drinks on the sweeter side)
2 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters (chocolate because that’s the type of bitters I have at home)
1 large ice-cube
Garnish with orange peel and a cocktail Cherry