Old Fashioned Recipe

Muddle cherries and syrup

Place the Bordeaux cherries and 0.25 oz (1/4 oz) simple syrup into a mixing glass. Gently muddle 1–2 times to release cherry juices and aroma without pulverizing the cherries—just press once or twice to extract flavor.

Add bitters and bourbon

Add 2 dashes of orange bitters and 2 oz 4 Roses Small Batch bourbon to the mixing glass.

Stir with ice

Fill the mixing glass with plenty of ice and stir with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until the liquid is well chilled and slightly diluted (target roughly 20–25% dilution from the ice).

Prepare glass

Place a single large ice cube in a chilled rocks (Old Fashioned) glass.

Strain and garnish

Use a strainer to pour the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube in the rocks glass, leaving any large cherry solids behind. Express an orange peel over the drink by holding it skin-side down above the glass and giving it a sharp twist to release oils, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the drink as garnish. Optionally, add one of the muddled Bordeaux cherries into the glass for presentation.

Serve

Serve immediately. Sip slowly to appreciate the balance of bourbon, bitters, and cherry—all components contribute to the classic Old Fashioned profile.

Rinse or wash the mixing glass, bar spoon, and strainer after use. Store leftover cherries in their syrup or brandy in an airtight container in the refrigerator.