Coffee Old Fashioned Recipe

Chill glass

Place an old-fashioned glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Pull espresso

Pull a 0.5 oz shot of fresh espresso (or brew very strong concentrated coffee). Allow it to rest for 10–20 seconds to cool slightly — it should still be warm but not steaming.

Discard ice water from the chilled glass (if used) and add a large ice cube or fill the glass with fresh ice.

In a mixing glass or shaker without ice, combine 2 oz Buffalo Trace bourbon, 0.5 oz coffee liqueur, 0.5 oz freshly pulled espresso, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters. The absence of ice at this step helps integrate the espresso without excessive dilution.

Stir the mixture briefly in the mixing glass for about 10–15 seconds to homogenize the espresso and liqueur.

Add a large handful of ice to the mixing glass and stir for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted (targeting ~25% dilution from the mixing process).

Using a bar spoon or strainer, strain the cocktail over the chilled old-fashioned glass containing the large ice cube.

Express the orange peel over the drink: hold the peel about 3–4 inches above the surface and give it a firm twist to spray the oils onto the cocktail, then rub the peel around the glass rim.

Drop the expressed orange peel into the glass or lay it on the ice. Optionally, float a single coffee bean on the surface for aroma and presentation.

Serve immediately.