There’s something about the smell of bourbon over ice that just does something for us… it could be the anticipation of knowing a cocktail is enroute, or that happy hour is around the corner, but either way, we are here for it.
When we’re hanging out as a team, our amazing in-house mixologist that daylights as our Director of Operations + Accounts, is always ready to create something on demand.
At our behest, Rachelle mixed up the perfect Old Fashioned without following the traditional ingredients (we like to break the rules over here), creating a spicier, bolder version of this classic cocktail. Step-by-step below:
Step 1: a big-ass ice cube
Plop that baby in and move on.
Step 2: 2.5 oz of bourbon (not whiskey)
Step 3: 0.25 oz hand-made Ginger Simple Syrup:
We don’t do ‘basic’ over here, so Rachelle mixed up this hand-made ginger syrup to give it a kick.
Ginger Syrup:
Equal parts water + white sugar, peel ginger and cut into rounds. Mix together. The more ginger, the spicier the syrup.
Step 4: Work it for 15-20 seconds
Gently stir together over the ice to slightly dilute and chill.
Step 5: Add a Couple Dashes of Angostura or Ginger bitters
Just pop ‘em in.
Fun fact about these bitters – the brand was developed by two brothers who still own and operate the company. When they did the product sourcing, they procured the bottles + labels separately and when it came time to put the two together, the label was dramatically taller than the spot allocated for it on the bottle (oops!). Given the timing of the product release, they didn’t have time to fix the prototype bottle before presenting it – good thing for them; the investor loved how the label didn’t fit, saying “it stands out, the right way”. The label has never been changed.
Step 6: Squeeze the oils of a lemon peel + tuck behind the ice
A typical Old Fashioned would use an orange peel, but we opted for a lemon peel to compliment that ginger flavour, giving it fresh + balanced taste
Step 7: Enjoy!
There you have it,the best Old Fashioned you’ll ever make (yourself.) Mix it up and let us know what you think or how many of these you’ll be responsibly crushing after hours.