The Espresso Old-Fashioned Cocktail
The espresso old-fashioned cocktail is a wonderful way to mellow out and stay awake at the same time. Because the old fashioned is a spirit-forward cocktail, it’s important to use a high-quality whiskey. What a treat, then, to showcase my espresso old fashioned using New England Barrel Company’s Small Batch Select Straight Bourbon Whisky. This small-batch bourbon is aged for more than four years and has won awards including a Silver Medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The old fashioned is the first “cocktail” ever created, traditionally made by muddling together bitters and sugar, topping with rye or another whiskey, and stirring with ice to chill and dilute before garnishing with cherries or oranges. This concoction was originally known as simply “the whiskey cocktail,” but it has now evolved to encompass different flavors, ingredients, and techniques. Simply put, you are allowed to make your old-fashioned cocktail however you want to make it. There are lots of great riffs out there: Experiment with different spirit bases, bitters, and sweeteners (like a tequila old-fashioned with añejo tequila, mole bitters, and agave syrup!). You can even add extra flavors and ingredients to the base recipe, such as adding fresh, cold espresso to your old fashioned.
Here’s my recipe for the espresso old fashioned!
Espresso Old Fashioned
Ingredients
1.5 oz bourbon (preferably aged for 4+ years)
1 oz fresh, cold espresso
¼ oz Demerara syrup
4-6 dashes Angostura orange bitters
Method
Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass. Stir with a large cube of ice to dilute. Enjoy!
Originally published on Jocelyn Sage Mitchell's website.
