Whistlepig Rye Old Fashioned Recipe

Cocktail

1. 1

   Sweeten the glass

   Place 1 teaspoon demerara sugar into an Old Fashioned (rocks) glass. Add about 1/4 teaspoon (just enough to moisten) of water to help dissolve the sugar.

2. 2

   Muddle sugar and bitters

   Add 2 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters and, if desired for balance, 2 dashes Angostura-style bitters over the sugar. Using a small bar spoon or muddler, gently muddle until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture forms a syrupy paste along the base of the glass.

3. 3

   Add whiskey

   Pour 2 oz WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye into the glass over the syrupy sugar-bitter paste.

4. 4

   Add ice and stir

   Drop in one large clear ice cube (or enough large cubes to nearly fill the glass). Using a bar spoon, stir gently for 20–30 seconds (10–15 full turns) to chill and slightly dilute the drink, integrating the whiskey with the demerara syrup and bitters.

5. 5

   Express and garnish

   Take one piece of fresh orange peel. Hold it over the glass, skin side down, and firmly twist or squeeze to express the oils over the surface of the cocktail. Optionally run the rim of the glass with the peel, then drop the peel into the drink as garnish.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve immediately on the rocks. Sip and enjoy the spicy rye, caramel notes of demerara, and the warm Aztec chocolate-bitter finish.