Elijah Craig Small Batch Recipe

1. Chill glass

Place a rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill it with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

2. Combine ingredients

In a mixing glass or shaker filled with plenty of ice, pour 2 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon, 1 oz sweet vermouth, and add 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

3. Stir

Using a bar spoon, stir the mixture briskly but smoothly for about 20–30 seconds (approximately 20–30 full spoon rotations) until well chilled and slightly diluted. The goal is a silky texture and clear appearance.

4. Prepare serving glass

Discard ice or water from the chilled rocks glass. Place one large clear ice cube into the chilled glass.

5. Strain

Strain the stirred cocktail into the rocks glass over the large ice cube using a julep or hawthorne strainer to keep out any shards of ice.

6. Express orange oils

Take an orange peel and hold it over the glass with the outer side facing down. Give the peel a firm twist to express the oils over the surface of the cocktail, then rub the peel around the rim of the glass to impart aroma.

7. Drop the expressed orange peel into the drink or set it on the rim. Optionally, add one Luxardo cherry on a cocktail pick and rest it on the cube or inside the glass.