Ukiah Oldie Recipe

Build and stir

Place a mixing glass in front of you. Add Old Forester 100 Bourbon (2 oz), demerara syrup (0.25 oz), Ukiah orange bitters (3 dashes) and Angostura bitters (2 dashes) into the mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass with enough large ice to chill without over-diluting (about 6–8 large cubes or one large cube). Stir gently and steadily for 20–30 seconds until the drink is well-chilled and slightly diluted (knife-edge chill and slight frost on the glass).

Prepare serving glass

Place a single large ice cube into a chilled old-fashioned glass. Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube using a Hawthorne or julep strainer into the glass.

Express orange oil

Take the orange peel and hold it over the glass, oil-side down. Give it a firm fold/squeeze to express the oils across the surface of the cocktail, then rub the peel briefly around the rim and drop it into the drink or place as garnish on the ice.

Prepare your smoking setup: place a small heatproof metal or ceramic dish on a heatproof surface. Put 2 pinches of applewood or cherrywood chips in the dish. Using a torch (kitchen blowtorch) or a lit taper, ignite the wood chips until they produce a steady smoke. If using a smoking gun, load its chamber with chips and prepare tubing into the glass or cloche.

If using a cloche or mixing glass to trap smoke: Immediately after the cocktail is in the serving glass, quickly invert the cloche over the glass (or place the mixing glass over) and allow smoke to fill the space. If using a torch-lit dish, cup the cloche over the glass and the dish so smoke fills around the glass. Let the cocktail sit in the trapped smoke for 20–30 seconds for a light smoke; 45–60 seconds for a stronger smoke perfume.

Remove the cloche carefully, allowing a short plume of smoke to escape, then serve immediately so the guest experiences the smoke aroma with the first sip. If using a smoking gun: direct tubing into the glass, fill with smoke, seal briefly (or cover with hand), then remove tube and serve.

Taste and adjust future batches: if the cocktail is too sweet, reduce demerara syrup to 0.2 oz; if it lacks orange complexity, add an additional dash of Ukiah orange bitters. For a bolder smoke, increase trapped smoke time or use a slightly stronger wood. Serve immediately while aromatic smoke remains present.