Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Recipe

Build and stir

Add 2 oz WhistlePig "PiggyBack" rye, 0.5 oz cherry liqueur, 0.25 oz simple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters (if using) into a mixing glass.

Fill the mixing glass with large ice or cubed ice to chill. Stir vigorously with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds (roughly 20–30 full revolutions) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted.

Place a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Strain the stirred cocktail over the ice using a Hawthorne or julep strainer.

Express and garnish

Take an orange peel and hold it about 4–6 inches above the drink with the outer (orange) side facing down. Give the peel a firm squeeze to express the oils across the surface of the cocktail, then rub the rim of the glass with the peel and drop it into the drink as garnish.

Optional: Skewer a Luxardo or brandied cherry and rest it on the rim or drop it into the glass. Serve immediately.

Adjust sweetness by increasing or decreasing the simple syrup by 0.125–0.25 oz. The cherry liqueur contributes both cherry flavor and sweetness; choose maraschino (lighter, almond-like) or morello/brandied cherry liqueur (richer, tart) depending on preference.

If you prefer a smokier barrel influence, briefly rinse the glass with a teeny pour (about 1/8 oz) of the barrel-aged whiskey and discard excess before straining the cocktail in.