6 Festive Variations on the Old Fashioned Cocktail
Hey there, I’m Miguel of @holycityhandcraft - welcome to this new cocktail series entitled ‘Festive Old Fashioneds‘! In this new series sponsored by Old Forester Bourbon, I’ll be showing you my holiday take on the ultimate classic cocktail - The Old Fashioned. OH, and I’ve also enlisted the help of five of Charleston’s finest mixologists to guide you through how to create five MORE unique variations for your next virtual holiday party. If you haven’t read my blog post on the history and construction of a classic, make sure to check it out here. Otherwise, strap in and buckle up, I hope you enjoy these cocktails as much I enjoyed shooting them with these amazing folks! Note that this post is SPONSORED. As always, please enjoy these cocktails responsibly.
GIMME S’MORE
During the holidays, I can’t think of anything better than sitting around a bonfire on a chilly night, making a couple s’mores and drinking bourbon or cocktails to warm you right up. So I figured - why not combine all those flavors and put that feeling into a rocks glass. I love how this one turned out, its just the right amount of sweetness and the toasted marshmallow notes from the toasted barrel finish in Old Forester 1910 really shines and complements the roasted marshmallow garnish on top. Cheers y’all!
ingredients:
2 Parts Old Forester 1910 Bourbon Whiskey
½ Part Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
¼ Part Biscotti Liqueur
5-6 Dashes Choclate Bitters
Roasted Marshmallows (Garnish)
instructions:
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, strain and pour the cocktail over a large ice cube and add the garnish. Serve and enjoy!
A Gift for the Gifter
I know what you’re thinking… my buddy Allen has one of the jolliest folks you’ve ever seen.
First up on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with Old Forester is Allen Lancaster (@lancasteratchucktown) with his take on a familiar combo condensed into a cocktail recipe you’d all be familiar with.
“Classic chocolate chip and a tall glass of milk was the tradition growing up in my household. For this recipe, I decided to elevate that combination by incorporating coconut milk for the purpose of another layer of flavor, the brightness of the color white, and something non-dairy as to be enjoyed by those who may be lactose intolerant and/or vegan.
I chose the #OldForester 1897 Bottled in Bond for its deep rich character and subtle sweetness which lends structure to a very non traditional “Old Fashioned””
ingredients:
1½ Parts Old Forester 1897 Bourbon Whiskey
½ Part Creme de Cacao
½ Part Coconut Cream Liqueur
1½ Parts Coconut-Chocolate Chip “Cereal Milk”
3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters
Chocolate Chip Cookie (Garnish)
instructions:
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, strain and pour the cocktail over a large ice cube and add the cookie garnish. Serve and enjoy!
A Holiday Cornucopia
Ribeye steak and bourbon, name a better combo, I’ll wait.
Next up on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with Old Forester is the man himself, Darren Fallon (@kane923) with a holiday dinner take on this Old Fashioned. Check out his details below.
“I was thinking about classic holiday meals that family’s make around the holidays. I wanted to incorporate these flavors into a cocktail that reminds me of meals I’ve shared with friends and family. I used Old Forester 1870 for the smooth palate that I thought would best showcase the holiday flavors as well as stand on its own and not be overlooked.”
ingredients:
1½ Parts Ribeye Rested Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Whiskey
½ Part Toasted Pink Peppercorn, Cranberry, and Rosemary Syrup
2-3 Heavy Dashes Pickled Mushroom and Sour Cherry Bitters
Rosemary Sprig
Fresh Cranberries
instructions:
Combine bourbon, syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, strain and pour the cocktail over a large ice cube and garnish with a Rosemary sprig with pierced cranberries.. Serve and enjoy!
Best Side Old Fashioned
The sweet potato casserole… OLD FASHIONED? Yep, she did it.
Next up on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with Old Forester is the wonderful Jessica Ford (@queenofcoupes) with a riff on the Old Fashioned using one of my favorite sides during any holiday dinner, the sweet potato casserole. Check out her details below.
“As soon as the holiday theme was mentioned, I knew I had to make an old fashioned riff of my favorite holiday side, sweet potato casserole. I chose Old Forester 1910 because the heavy char on the cask used for secondary aging imparts the perfect flavor profile for this riff: sweet caramel and toffee notes, smokey vanilla that’s reminiscent of toasted marshmallow, and well integrated baking spices.”
ingredients:
1½ Parts Sweet Potato Infused Old Forester 1910 Bourbon Whiskey
½ Part Pecan Syrup
2 Dashes or ½ Dropper Cinnamon Bitters
Homemade Toasted Marshmallows
instructions:
Bourbon: infuse 10g sweet potato to 200g 1910, for at least 5 hours.
Pecan syrup: toast 1 cup of pecans then lightly crush, and add to 2 cups of hot water and ¾ cup vanilla sugar. Let sit for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Puree and strain through a coffee filter - this can take some time.
Build the drink: Add bourbon, pecan syrup, and at least 2 dashes or half a dropper of cinnamon or cassia bark bitters. Stir and serve on the rocks, and serve with house made marshmallow skewers, rolled in nuts or sanding sugar or however you best enjoy them!
Notorious F.I.G.
’Tis the [fig] season here in the Lowcountry so why not make the best of it in an Old Fashioned?
Next up on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with Old Forester is the talented, Meagan Cheek (@meaganvision) with a fig inspired Old Fashioned that is as local as it it is seasonal. Check out his details below.
“Figs, allspice, brown sugar, maple syrup, and of course bourbon... what flavors could be more fitting for the holiday season? I wanted to feature figs because they often get a bad rap (pun intended). For this representation of the OG Old Fashioned I have chosen Old Forester 1920 for its warming winter flavors of cherry, vanilla, and graham cracker sweetness. The spirit is then infused at a low heat with dried figs rolled in a bit of brown sugar. Finish with a touch of allspice dram, maple syrup, and cherry bark vanilla bitters. Garnish with a fresh halved fig nestled in a big beautiful peel of winter grapefruit. If you don’t know, now you know!”
ingredients:
1½ Parts Fig Infused Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Whiskey
½ Part Pimento Dram
¼ part Maple Syrup
1 Dash Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters
Grapefruit Expression
Brûléed Fresh Fig (Garnish)
instructions:
Combine #OldForester, pimento dram, syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, strain and pour the cocktail over a large ice cube and garnish with an grapefruit twist. Serve and enjoy!
The Honey Hickory Ham
No holiday ham is complete with without the garnish - but the same goes for Old Fashioned cocktails right?
Last but not least on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with Old Forester is my talented friend James Bolt (@jamesb0lt) with a holiday dinner take on this Old Fashioned. Check out his details below.
“The inspiration behind The Hickory Honey Ham cocktail is having that traditional holiday ham that’s on the table during the holiday season. The whiskey that is also consumed with family and friends around the same holiday table. I always think of the nostalgic holiday table set with a large ham covered in pineapple and neon red cherries. It’s a classic that I wanted to turn into a nostalgic festive holiday cocktail.
I chose the Old Forester Rye so it can add a nice spice quality to the cocktail and stand up against the pork fat flavor. The high rye and 100 proof stands up against the bold flavors in the cocktail. “
ingredients:
1½ Parts Old Forester Rye Whiskey
¾ Part Apricot + Mustard-seed infused Blanc Vermouth
½ Part Maraschino Liqueur
½ Part Smoked Maple Syrup
5 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
2 Dashes Saline Solution
Pineapple Ring (Garnish)
Honey Ham (Garnish)
Maraschino Cherry (Garnish)
instructions:
Combine rye, syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, strain and pour the cocktail over a large ice cube and garnish with a slice of ham, pineapple ring, maraschino cherry. Serve and enjoy!
Disclosures:
Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, 50% Alc./Vol. Old Forester Distilling Company at Louisville in Kentucky.
Certain links above can be affiliated, meaning at no additional cost to you, I could potentially earn commission for each purchase.
If a post is sponsored, this means I was compensated to research, develop and photograph a custom recipe on my own or in collaboration with other talented persons.
Thanks for the support y'all!