Reserve Old Fashioned Recipe

Inspired by Emeril's

Time10m

Serves1

Make Reserve Old Fashioned Recipe in just 10m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

1
Chill glass
Place an old-fashioned (rocks) glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you assemble ingredients to lightly chill and rinse.
2
Make demerara syrup (if not ready)
Combine 2 parts demerara sugar and 1 part water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear. Cool completely before using. Keeps refrigerated for 2–3 weeks.

3
Muddle cherry and syrup
In a mixing glass or directly in the chilled rocks glass, add the demerara syrup (0.25 oz) and the Luxardo/brandied cherry. Gently muddle once or twice just to release a touch of cherry flavor — do not pulverize.
4
Add bitters and whiskey
Add 3 dashes Angostura and 1 dash orange bitters to the mixing glass. Pour in 2 oz of your chosen reserve bourbon or rye. If you're using the optional 0.25 oz barrel-aged rinse instead of in-glass mixing, hold that for the finish step.
5
Stir
Add ice to the mixing glass (enough to chill well) and stir gently for 20–30 seconds until the liquid is well chilled and slightly diluted (about 15–20% dilution by weight). If building directly in the rocks glass, stir with the large ice cube until chilled, about 15–20 seconds.
6
Strain and serve
If you mixed in a mixing glass, discard the ice or water from the chilled rocks glass and place a large clear ice cube inside. Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube. If you built directly in the glass, simply ensure the large ice piece is present and leave the muddled cherry in the glass.

7
Express orange oils
Hold the orange peel over the glass with the outer skin facing down. Give it a firm twist to express the oils over the drink, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the cocktail.
8
Optional barrel rinse
If using the 0.25 oz barrel-aged bourbon rinse: pour the 0.25 oz into the served glass and swirl to coat the ice and inner surface, then pour off any surplus (or leave it in for extra depth).
9
Optional smoke finish
To smoke: ignite a small wood chip until it begins to smolder, capture the smoke under an inverted mixing glass or use a smoking cloche over the serving glass for 10–20 seconds, then lift to release the aromatic smoke and serve immediately. Use caution with open flame.