Virginia Highland Malt Whisky Recipe

Chill glass

Place an Old-Fashioned (rocks) glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you gather ingredients to lightly chill the glass.

Measure and combine

In a mixing glass, add 2 oz malted whisky, 0.75 oz sweet vermouth, 0.5 oz amaro, 0.25 oz maple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters.

Add ice

Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes (about 4 pieces) so the liquid is well covered. Large cubes minimize dilution and chill efficiently.

Stir

Using a bar spoon, stir the mixture for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 full rotations) until the outside of the mixing glass is well chilled and the liquid is slightly diluted and harmonized.

Prepare glass

Discard the ice or ice water from your chilled Old-Fashioned glass. If you prefer, place a single large ice cube or sphere into the glass.

Strain

Double-strain or fine-strain the mixed cocktail from the mixing glass into the chilled Old-Fashioned glass over the large ice cube to catch any small ice shards or particulate.

Express orange oils

Take the orange peel and hold it skin-side down above the drink. Give it a quick, firm squeeze to express the oils across the surface of the cocktail, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the drink as garnish.

Garnish

Optionally skewer a Luxardo or brandied cherry and rest it on the rim or drop it into the glass beside the orange peel.

Serve immediately and enjoy responsibly. The maple syrup adds a rounded sweetness that complements the malt character while the vermouth and amaro provide herbal complexity; bitters tie the flavors together.