The traditional Old Fashioned is a simple mixture of bourbon, bitters, sugar (in the form of simple syrup) and orange peel. Because it’s such a staple to have in any cocktail fan’s repertoire and just about perfect the way it is, tweaking the recipe to make it fresh again is almost unnecessary — the fact that it’s a long-lived classic is exactly the point. But when I saw this recipe from Austin bartender Jeff Hammett, I thought the inclusions of the clove and and torched orange and lemon rinds sounded intriguing enough for me to try it.
They complemented the core ingredients of the Old Fashioned with a slightly tart, spicy flourish, although the citrus contributed some extra sweetness. Also keep in mind that you only need to hold the flame over the citrus rinds for a couple of seconds, just long enough to impart a hint of smoke.
Torched Citrus Old Fashioned
2 parts Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon
5 dashes Angostura Bitters
1.5 parts soda water
1 part simple syrup with a touch of clove
Torched orange and lemon rinds
Torch orange and lemon rinds. In a shaker, muddle the rinds with simple syrup, Angostura bitters and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon.
Add ice and stir. Pour over ice into an Old Fashioned glass and top with soda water.
— Jeff Hammett
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