Tap House Old Fashioned Recipe

Build and stir

Place the Luxardo cherry and the 1/4 oz simple syrup in a mixing glass or directly in an old fashioned glass. Add 3 dashes of house bitters. If you prefer a lighter muddle, gently press the cherry once with the back of a bar spoon to release a little syrup — do not pulverize.

Add spirit

Measure 2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon and add it to the glass with the cherry and bitters.

Dilute and chill

Add a large ice cube to the mixing glass (or if building in the serving glass, add the large ice cube there). Stir gently for 20–30 seconds with a bar spoon until the drink is well chilled and slightly diluted (you should see slight frosting on the glass). If you built the drink in a mixing glass, strain it into a chilled old fashioned glass over a fresh large ice cube.

Express citrus

Take the orange slice or peel and hold it over the glass, skin-side down. Pinch or lightly twist to express the oils across the surface of the cocktail, then rub the peel around the rim of the glass and drop it in (or neatly place the orange slice on the rim or in the drink).

Finish

Garnish with the Luxardo cherry (if not already in the glass) and the expressed orange peel. Serve immediately.

If you prefer a slightly sweeter Old Fashioned, increase simple syrup to 1/2 oz. For a drier profile, omit the syrup and add an extra dash of bitters. Use a single large ice cube to minimize dilution while keeping the drink cold.