I recently made a delicious Blood Orange Old Fashioned. It got me thinking about other Old Fashioned variations that I love. And also how non-cocktail lovers ask me, “an Old Fashioned what?” when I say that it’s my favorite drink. After buying a bottle of Howler Head Banana Bourbon, I made a Banana Old Fashioned that always leads to a recipe request. I figured I would share that here, and provide a couple of other recipes that I can’t stop making. The Old Fashioned cocktail recipe just lends itself to the best creations. It’s simple to make and allows the flavors of the spirit to really shine.
1. Banana Old Fashioned
I’ve been very impressed with the Howler Head Banana Bourbon. While it does contain natural banana flavoring, the flavor is very good. It is strong enough to stand out without being overly perfumy, or taste like a banana candy. Although you can make an Old Fashioned straight up with it, I like it with a slight moderation. Using Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters gives it the perfect balance. I used my homemade stamped ice as the garnish, but a single banana chip on your ice also works.
Banana Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 oz Howler Head Banana Bourbon
- 2 dashes Aztec Chocolate bitters
- 0.25 oz simple syrup or banana oleo saccharum
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir 20-30 seconds to cill and properly dilute the drink.
- Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube and serve.
Notes
If you really want to go bananas, sorry, try the recipe with banana oleo saccharum. Follow the same instructions as the grapefruit oleo saccharum in this post but use banana peels instead of grapefruit peels. It is not going to look that appetizing, but the flavor will amaze you.
2. Rum Old Fashioned
I love a Rum Old Fashioned. Like the standard formula for an Old Fashioned, it’s a simple three-ingredient build. However, it leverages a very special rum, Appleton Estate 12 Year, and two amazing products from a woman-owned company in New Orleans called El Guapo. (For more on their products, you can check out my gift guide.) The last thing I’ll say about this rum cocktail is that it’s super smooth. Great for sipping after work or toasting a special occasion. It’s not a clear ice sphere, but I still love this mold and use it when I forget to prep clear ice in advance. (Clear ice molds typically need to be removed from the freezer at a specific time or it becomes hard to remove the ice.)
Rum Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 oz Appleton Estate 12 Year rum
- 0.5 oz El Guapo Pecan Orgeat
- 2 dashes El Guapo Polynesian bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir 20-30 seconds for proper chilling and dilution of the drink.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice sphere and serve.
3. Cognac Old Fashioned
Cognac is fairly new to my home bar collection. I bought some Remy Martin VSOP a year ago and have been using it from time to time. In an effort to learn more about the category, I bought another brand to try. For this Cognac Old Fashioned, I used Pierre Ferrand Cognac 1840. It was a bit more mellow compared to the Remy Martin and worked really well in this cocktail. To bring out the fruit flavors in the cognac, I used Bittercube’s Cherry Bark bitters.
Cognac Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 oz cognac
- 2 dashes cherry bark bitters
- 1 barspoon simple syrup
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing tin or glass with ice.
- Stir for 20-30 seconds until the glass is cold.
- Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube or sphere. Serve and enjoy!
For other delicious Old Fashioned variations, check out this apple version and this one with grilled pineapple syrup. What’s your favorite Banana Old Fashioned recipe?
