Perfecto Old Fashioned El Bandido Flight Recipe

1. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and optional 3 whole cloves.

2. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Do not boil vigorously; simmer 3–4 minutes to extract cinnamon flavor.

3. Remove saucepan from heat, cover, and let steep 20–30 minutes for a pronounced cinnamon character. For a lighter cinnamon note steep 10–15 minutes.

4. Strain syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container, discard solids, and cool to room temperature. Transfer to refrigerator; syrup will keep 2 weeks refrigerated.

5. Prepare glassware

Chill three rocks glasses briefly (optional) or rinse with cold water and dump. Place one large ice cube in each glass.

6. Measure and pour tequilas

In each prepared rocks glass, pour 1 oz of the designated tequila: Blanco into glass #1, Reposado into glass #2, and Añejo into glass #3. Work left-to-right or label glasses if serving to guests.

7. Sweeten and season

To each glass add 1/3 tsp (about 1/6 oz) of the cooled cinnamon simple syrup (this is approximately 0.5 teaspoons — adjust to taste so each drink has a balanced sweetness) and add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to each glass. If you prefer a slightly sweeter or more spiced profile, add up to 3/4 tsp syrup per glass.

8. Stir

Gently stir each drink 10–15 seconds (20–25 rotations) with a bar spoon to integrate syrup and bitters, chill and slightly dilute with the ice cube. Aim for light dilution so tequila character remains prominent.

9. Express and garnish

Take an orange peel, hold it over each glass with the outer (oily) side facing down, and give it a firm twist to express oils over the surface. Run the peel around the glass rim and drop it into the drink as garnish.

10. Serve

Present the three glasses as a flight: Blanco (zestier, more agave-forward), Reposado (light oak, vanilla), Añejo (richer, oak and caramel). Provide a small glass of water or soda for palate cleansing between sips.

11. If a tequila tastes too sharp, add another 1/4 tsp cinnamon syrup and stir. If too sweet, reduce syrup to 1/4 tsp next time. For more spice, re-steep the cinnamon sticks longer when making syrup or add an extra dash of bitters.

12. To accentuate cinnamon on the Añejo, briefly flame the orange peel over the glass (carefully) before expressing oils to add a caramelized citrus note.