Old Fashioned Date Recipe

Quick soak method (4–12 hours)

Chop 5 pitted Medjool dates into quarters and place in a heatproof jar. Pour 4 oz warm (not boiling) water over the dates and let sit 15 minutes to rehydrate. Add 6 oz bourbon, seal, and let sit at room temperature for 4–12 hours, shaking occasionally. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean jar, pressing the solids to extract flavor. Cool and refrigerate. Use 1/2 oz of the strained date-infused liquor in cocktails (or reduce to a syrup by simmering briefly with the water if you prefer thicker syrup).

Overnight/Long infusion (recommended for best flavor)

For deeper flavor, combine chopped dates and bourbon in a sealed jar and infuse in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours. Strain well and discard solids. Transfer the infused bourbon to a bottle and keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Combine 2 tbsp demerara sugar and 1 tbsp hot water in a small container. Stir until fully dissolved. Cool before using. (Alternatively use a premade 2:1 demerara rich syrup—adjust quantity to match sweetness.)

Add 2 oz bourbon, 0.5 oz date-infused liquid (or 0.5 oz date syrup if you reduced the infusion), and 0.25 oz demerara syrup into a mixing glass.

Add 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 2 dashes walnut bitters to the mixing glass.

Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir briskly for 20–30 seconds (about 15–20 full rotations) until the drink is well chilled and slightly diluted.

Strain the cocktail into a chilled old fashioned glass over one large ice cube.

Express an orange peel over the surface by holding the peel skin-side down about 2–3 inches above the glass and giving it a firm squeeze to release oils. Run the peel around the rim and drop it into the glass as garnish.

Optionally, grate a tiny pinch of toasted walnut over the drink or add a whole pitted date on a cocktail pick for garnish to emphasize the date character.