Old Rascal Recipe

Roast apples

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss diced apple with a tablespoon of Demerara sugar (from the 1 cup), spread on a small baking sheet, and roast 20–25 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized. Let cool slightly.

Make syrup

Combine the remaining Demerara sugar and water in a small saucepan with the roasted apples and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer 8–10 minutes to infuse the apple and spice flavors. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and let steep 30 minutes.

Strain and store

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids. Cool, transfer to a bottle, and refrigerate. Syrup keeps 2 weeks.

Combine Angostura bitters and allspice dram in a small dropper bottle or mixing container and add a strip of orange zest. Allow to rest for at least 24 hours so the orange oils marry with the bitters. Use the combined mixture as the 'house bitters' for the cocktail (3 dashes).

Chill: Place an old-fashioned glass in the freezer or fill it with ice and water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Build: In a mixing glass add 2 oz Old Grand-Dad Bourbon, 0.5 oz baked apple-Demerara syrup, and 3 dashes house bitters. Fill the mixing glass with large, cold ice.

Stir: Stir gently for 30–45 seconds (about 20–30 full stirs) until properly chilled and slightly diluted.

Prepare glass: Discard chilling ice/water from the serving glass and place a single large ice cube or sphere in the glass.

Strain: Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube into the chilled old-fashioned glass.

Express orange: Hold an orange peel over the drink and give it a firm twist to express oils onto the surface, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the glass as garnish.

Ginger-orange mist

To create the aromatic mist: bruise the fresh ginger lightly (smash or grate a little) and place into a small shallow metal or heatproof dish. Pour 0.5 oz high-proof neutral spirit over the ginger and a small piece of orange peel. Using a culinary torch or by briefly warming the underside of the dish (be careful — do not ignite), warm the spirit just until it becomes aromatic but not flaming. Immediately invert a glass or small metal dome over the dish to capture the vapor for a few seconds and then use the captured vapor as a short mist over the cocktail by releasing the dome above the drink. Alternatively, a small handheld atomizer can be used: combine the warmed ginger-infused spirit with a tiny amount of fresh orange oil and spray 1–2 short pumps (very light) over the finished cocktail.

Serve: Present immediately so the ginger-orange mist is still aromatic. Sip and enjoy.