Smokey Old Fashioned is an earthy twist on a classic whisky cocktail. Easy to make at home without the need for a smoke gun.
There's so many great options in Toronto for innovative and exciting cocktails - I could spend hours looking at at the menus and bar lists on offer around the city! One of the first cocktail bars we went to, which unfortunately has now shut, made amazing smoked whisky cocktails using smoke guns and ever since I have been working on a way of recreating them at home without the need for any fancy gadgets.
How to make a Smokey Old Fashioned without a smoke gun
One of my best finds so far since living here, is a wonderful shop called The Cocktail Emporium. It's a wonderland of barware and drinks treats - I could spend hours in there!! They have an amazing selection of bitters, and while browsing, I came across tobacco bitters. Yes, tobacco sounds a bit weird, but my mind straight away to pairing it with whisky, and well....the rest is history!
What's in a Smokey Old Fashioned
Bitters are a great way of injecting a complexity of flavours into drinks. I replaced the traditional angostura bitters in an Old Fashioned with the tobacco bitters for an earthy, rounded drink. You could call this a Tobacco Old Fashioned, but I don't think that sounds quite as appealing! 🙂
I didn't stray too far from a traditional Old Fashioned for this recipe, I added a squeeze of fresh orange juice to the sugar and bitters for a light citrus kick and topped up with the whiskey.
What whiskey should I use in a Smokey Old Fashioned?
Unlike those cocktails where you don't know if there's any alcohol in them or not, the whiskey in this drink is meant to be tasted and enjoyed. I used Johnnie Walker Black Label, use a whiskey that you enjoy or the best quality you can get your hands on.
If you are after more cocktails, be sure to check out my Elderflower Mojito or Caesar Brunch Cocktail
Smokey Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1 tsp demerara sugar
- 3-5 drops tobacco bitters
- squeeze fresh orange juice (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 large ice cube (or 2-3 small)
- 2 oz whiskey of choice (65 ml)
- orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Put the sugar, bitters and orange juice in a tumbler / Old Fashioned glass and mix / muddle well
- Add the ice cube to the glass and pour in the whisky. Stir a few times and garnish with the orange peel
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