An Autumn Inspired Old Fashioned

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Besides being a classic, an old-fashioned is Blair’s go-to drink at a bar or a restaurant. An old-fashioned is perfect for sipping and doesn’t taste too sweet—plus, it’s an easy cocktail for beginners. Since we can’t help but put our own spin on things, you’ll see that we used walnut bitters instead of the typical Angostura. That extra flavor combined with the burnt orange notes takes this drink to another level.

We made this cocktail for our most recent Land dinner as a part of the Moore House Dinner Series and guests loved it. It paired nicely with the heartier cool weather fare—especially the Bo Ssam-style pork belly with yuzu kosho, the head cheese torchon with celery root and black truffle, sweet potato cavatelli, and bone-in pork chops with miso glazed brussel sprouts and radish. It’s truly the perfect cocktail for entertaining or just whipping up one or two during the week for an impromptu cocktail hour.

Here’s how to make it at home:

Blair’s Bourbon Old Fashioned

Ingredients

-1 sugar cube or a spoonful of sugar
-2 oz. of bourbon
-2-3 dashes of black walnut bitters
-Ice
-Dried orange slice for garnish
-Rosemary sprig for garnish

Step one

Make the dried orange slices for garnish: thinly slice an orange and place on a baking tray and place in a 200-degree oven for two to three hours until dried completely. Be sure to watch it carefully towards the end so they don’t burn.

step two

Muddle the sugar and bitters together in the bottom of your glass. For a slight twist on flavor, you can try a different type of sugar. A raw sugar cube will impart a slightly different flavor that a regular one.  

step three

Add the bourbon and stir. Add three to four ice cubes and stir until the bourbon is slightly diluted and the drink is chilled. If you don’t feel like using the dried orange slices, a twist of fresh orange peel works well as a garnish too.

Cheers and enjoy!

Enjoy! Let us know if you have any questions about how to recreate this. What’s your go to cocktail? 

*While any glass will work, we love these Bormioli Rocco bodega glasses from West Elm. They look beautiful and are an affordable buy. We use them in all of our Moore House cottages.  

Images: Erin McGinn  

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