Javier’s Old Fashion Recipe

Prepare glass

Chill a heavy rocks glass by filling with ice and set aside while you build the drink, or place in the freezer for a few minutes.

Combine ingredients

In a mixing glass, add 2 oz WhistlePig 6 Year Rye (Javier’s Single Barrel Reserve), 0.25 oz simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters.

Stir

Fill the mixing glass with large ice, then stir gently for 20–30 seconds (about 15–20 full rotations) until the mixture is well chilled, slightly diluted, and silkily integrated. Aim for a dilution of roughly 20–25 ml.

Prepare serving glass

Discard the ice from the chilled rocks glass and place one large clear ice cube in the glass.

Strain

Double-strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube using a Hawthorne or julep strainer and a fine-mesh strainer to ensure clarity.

Express orange oils

Take the orange peel and hold it skin-side down about 3–4 inches above the glass. Firmly bend the peel to express the oils through the flame (optional) or directly over the drink, then rub the peel along the rim of the glass to impart aroma.

Add cherry

Drop one Luxardo cherry onto the ice or skewer it and rest it on the rim.

Smoke the glass (optional)

If you want a smoky accent, place the prepared cocktail (or empty chilled glass before straining) under a smoking cloche or briefly introduce smoke from a wood chip/smoker into the glass, then invert the glass to trap smoke for 10–20 seconds. Remove cloche, strain cocktail into the smoked glass, and serve immediately.