Smokey Old Fashioned Recipe

Name: The Alchemist New York Streets SMOKEY OLD FASHIONED Recipe
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon; 0.25 oz Pure maple syrup (grade B or darker); 3 dashes Jerry Thomas bitters (or aromatic bitters); 1 piece Large ice cube (1.5–2 inch); 1 piece Orange peel; 1 piece Garnish: brandied cherry (optional); 1 serving Smoked air / wood smoke (apple, hickory or oak); 1 piece Old Fashioned (rocks) glass; 1 piece Mixing glass or small shaker; 1 piece Bar spoon; 1 piece Jigger (measuring); 1 piece Peeler or small knife; 1 piece Smoking device (smoke box, smoking gun, or cloche + lit wood chip); 1 piece Lighter or torch (for lighting wood chip); 1 piece Tongs (if using lit wood chip)

Inspired by The Alchemist New York Street

Time8m

Serves1

Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Jerry Thomas Bitters, Smoke. The Original.

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Ingredients

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Cocktail

2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon

1/4 oz Pure maple syrup (grade B or darker)

3 dashes Jerry Thomas bitters (or aromatic bitters)

1 piece Large ice cube (1.5–2 inch)

1 piece Orange peel

1 piece Garnish: brandied cherry (optional)

1 serving Smoked air / wood smoke (apple, hickory or oak)

Tools

1 piece Old Fashioned (rocks) glass

1 piece Mixing glass or small shaker

1 piece bar spoon

1 piece Jigger (measuring)

1 piece Peeler or small knife

1 piece Smoking device (smoke box, smoking gun, or cloche + lit wood chip)

1 piece Lighter or torch (for lighting wood chip)

1 piece Tongs (if using lit wood chip)

Method

Cocktail

Combine and stir

Place the mixing glass on your bar surface. Add 2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon, 0.25 oz pure maple syrup, and 3 dashes Jerry Thomas bitters into the mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass with enough ice to chill (about 4–6 medium cubes) and stir briskly with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted (aim for about 15–20% dilution).

Prepare glass and ice

While stirring, place a single large ice cube into the Old Fashioned glass. Strain the chilled cocktail from the mixing glass over the large ice cube using a hawthorne or julep strainer so no small ice shards are added.

Express the orange

Take the orange peel and hold it skin-side down about 2–3 inches above the glass. Give it a firm twist to express oils over the surface of the drink, then rub the rim of the glass with the peel and drop it into the cocktail (or lay it on the ice) as aroma and subtle flavor.

Smoke the drink

Choose one of these smoking methods: 1) Smoking gun: Fill the smoking gun chamber with a small piece of apple, oak, or hickory chip, ignite and direct smoke into the glass; cover with a coaster or small cloche and let sit for 20–30 seconds to infuse, then lift the cover and serve. 2) Cloche + lit wood chip: Place a lit wood chip in a heatproof dish, quickly invert the glass or place a cloche over the glass to capture smoke for 20–30 seconds, then remove cover and serve. 3) Smoke box: Place the prepared cocktail in the box, introduce smoke and seal for 20–30 seconds. The goal is a light smoky aroma that complements the bourbon without overpowering. If using direct-lit chip, use tongs and caution.

Garnish and finish

Optionally drop a brandied cherry into the glass. Present the cocktail immediately so the guest experiences the smoky aromatics on first sip.

Tools / Safety

When using any smoking device, work in a well-ventilated area and keep flammable materials away. If using a torch or lighter to ignite wood chips, use tongs or a tool to handle hot pieces. Allow chips to smolder rather than burn with a large flame to create clean smoke.