An Old Fashioned is one of the earliest known cocktails. First concocted during the 19th century, a traditional Old Fashioned is created by muddling sugar, water, and bitters before adding whiskey and garnishing with orange zest and a cocktail cherry. Served over ice in a rocks glass, this classic cocktail is a reliable favorite. But a new year calls for trying new things, and dropping temperatures demand a toastable treat to sip beside a glowing fire. With that in mind, we give you a wintery twist on a tried and true libation: the Apple Cider Old Fashioned. This cozy cocktail features the familiar flavors of orange, bitters, and whiskey found in the classic, but swaps a sugar cube for the crisp and aromatic sweetness of apple cider. Rye, with its spicy, fruity flavor profile, is the perfect whiskey for this scintillating beverage. If you’re looking for something local, Blackland’s Rye, distilled and bottled in Fort Worth, can’t be beat. Don a comfy sweater, light the fire, gather your ingredients, and soon you’ll be toasting with the best sip this season has to offer.
Ingredients:
fresh orange slice
gold sanding sugar
large ice cube
2/3 cup apple cider, chilled
2 oz. whiskey
2 dashes Angostura bitters
apple slice
cinnamon stick
Method:
Prepare a rocks glass by thoroughly moistening the rim with a fresh orange slice. Pour the gold sanding sugar into shallow dish. Dip the rim of the rocks glass into the sanding sugar and twist gently to coat. Add a large cube of ice to the glass.
In a separate glass, mix the apple cider and whiskey. Pour the mixture into the prepared rocks glass. Add two dashes of Angostura bitters. Garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Enjoy!
We suggest Blackland's Rye, distilled and bottled locally in Fort Worth. Blackland's Rye is available at Total Wine & More in The Village at Allen.