Smoked Old Fashioned

Impress the whiskey lovers in your life with a smoked old fashioned cocktail. This recipe is an easy and beautiful conversation piece that takes a modern twist on this classic cocktail!

Take a good old fashioned to great with a smoky depth of flavor and classic orange peel garnish.

The holiday season is now in session (I consider the fall the start of holiday season, don't you?), so I wanted to put a spooky touch on the old fashioned cocktail for Halloween!

This smoked old fashioned cocktail recipe is something that even the most novice home bartender can accomplish and even the most serious bourbon drinker will appreciate. It's perfect for date nights or even your next party.

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Jump to:

• History of the Old Fashioned Cocktail
• Equipment Needed
• Key Ingredients
• How to Make a Smoked Old Fashioned
• Variations
• FAQ
• More Whiskey / Bourbon Recipes:
• 📖 Recipe
• Smoked Old Fashioned

History of the Old Fashioned Cocktail

Old Fashioneds actually go back to the early 1800's, being a mix of sugar, water, bitters, and spirits, garnished with a cocktail cherry or orange peel.

It was simple and potent, but as more complex cocktails came into play by 1850s and '60s, the cocktail came back en vogue for those who were used to the simple cocktails of the early 1800's...with the name 'the old fashioned'.

It's now one of the most popular and top selling drinks internationally.

Equipment Needed

Double old fashioned glass - this is also called a 'rocks glass'.

Smoke infuser or smoke gun - I use an old fashioned smoker top, let it sit on the top of the glass for a couple of minutes to let that smoke really infuse before removing.

Wood Chips - You can buy wood chips for smoking cocktails easily on Amazon.

Culinary Torch - a must to burn the wood.

Key Ingredients

Twist of Orange Peel - orange zest is a classic ingredient in an old fashioned, I also like adding a maraschino cherry since we love sweet flavors in our drinks.

Dashes of Angostura Bitters - Angostura bitters are spicy and bitter, with notes of cloves and cinnamon.

Good Bourbon - Use your favorite barrel-proof bourbon, a bourbon that's nice and strong and smooth. That doesn't have to mean expensive, but it does mean enjoyable!

Sugar Cube - I like the slight richness from raw sugar that you won't get with the traditional white sugar cube, but if you're not into sugar you can use pure maple syrup.

A Large Ice Cube - I used a skull ice cube mold for this recipe, it definitely impressed my husband.

How to Make a Smoked Old Fashioned

You make a classic old fashioned, sugar cube and all, then use a smoking tool and wood chips to fill your rocks glass with smoke.

Let the smoke really rest in there, infusing the cocktail with the flavor and scent.

I also like to place the garnishes, sugar, ice, and bitters in first, and smoke them before adding the bourbon and smoking the cocktail again. The smoke really gets to infuse into every aspect of the drink with this method rather than only binding to the glass, ice, and bourbon.

Variations

There are tons of great options to give more twists and unique spins on an old fashioned, simple ones like a change in garnish to more advanced things like smoking ice or smoking your sweetener.

Sprig of Rosemary - not only will this add those aromatic terpenes, you can use it like a seasonal swizzle stick.

Orange Slice - a whole orange slice is pretty traditional in old fashioned cocktails

Luxardo Cherries - Instead of sweet maraschinos, these sour cherries are soaked in luxardo liqueur. They're more expensive but more luxe, too.

Cinnamon Stick - another seasonal swizzle stick, it'll also release those wonderful oils it has and lend its flavor to your old fashioned.

Pure Maple Syrup - smoked maple syrup can be used in lieu of the sugar cube, you can smoke it in the glass using the method I talked about above in the Instruction section.

FAQ

More Whiskey / Bourbon Recipes:

• Blackberry Bourbon Smash
• Green Tea Shots
• Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktail