Bourbon

Maple & Ember

A cold-weather Old Fashioned riff built with bourbon, maple syrup, allspice dram, and orange bitters for a rich, spiced, fireside-style whiskey cocktail.

Double Rocks Easy
whiskeystirredold-fashionedclassic-riffwinterspirit-forward
Maple & Ember cocktail

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/4 oz Allspice dram
  • 1/4 oz Maple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash Orange bitters
  • 1 Orange peel — for garnish

Method

  1. Add the bourbon, allspice dram, maple syrup, Angostura bitters, and orange bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. Fill the mixing glass with ice.
  3. Stir until well chilled and properly diluted.
  4. Strain into a double rocks glass over one large cube.
  5. Express an orange peel over the drink, then use as garnish.

Notes

Garnish

Expressed orange peel

Tasting Notes

Rich, warming, and aromatic with notes of maple, vanilla, oak, orange oil, baking spice, and a bittersweet finish. The maple syrup rounds the bourbon while the allspice dram adds depth without overwhelming the classic Old Fashioned structure. Maple & Ember should drink like an Old Fashioned first, with winter warmth layered in rather than piled on.

The History

Maple & Ember is a cold-weather riff on the Old Fashioned, one of the oldest and most enduring cocktail templates. At its core, the Old Fashioned follows a simple structure: spirit, sugar, bitters, and dilution. That formula became a defining way to season and soften strong spirits before the word “cocktail” expanded into the much broader category we know today.

The classic whiskey Old Fashioned is most often built with bourbon or rye, a small amount of sugar, aromatic bitters, ice, and citrus oil. Its strength is in its simplicity. A good Old Fashioned should still taste like the base spirit, with the sweetener and bitters acting more like seasoning than decoration.

This version keeps that classic framework but swaps the usual sugar cube or simple syrup for maple syrup. Maple brings a deeper, woodsy sweetness that naturally complements bourbon’s vanilla, caramel, and oak notes. The allspice dram adds a measured layer of baking spice, making the drink feel richer and more seasonal without turning it into a dessert cocktail.

The Old Fashioned Template

The easiest way to think about this drink is as a classic Old Fashioned with a seasonal sweetener and a small spice modifier:

  • Base spirit: bourbon
  • Sweetener: maple syrup
  • Bitters: Angostura and orange bitters
  • Modifier: Allspice Dram
  • Aromatic finish: expressed orange peel

The key is restraint. The maple syrup should round the drink, not dominate it. The allspice dram should add warmth, not become the main flavor. At 1/4 oz each, the maple and allspice dram sit firmly in riff territory while still letting the bourbon remain the center of the glass.

Stirring is important here. This drink needs dilution to integrate the maple syrup and soften the spice. A large cube in the serving glass keeps the cocktail cold while slowing dilution, which works well for a spirit-forward drink.

Scaling for a Crowd

Maple & Ember can be batched easily because it is a stirred, spirit-forward cocktail with no citrus or carbonation. For best results, batch the liquid ingredients ahead of time, chill the bottle, then stir individual servings with ice before serving.

For four drinks:

  • 8 oz bourbon
  • 1 oz allspice dram
  • 1 oz maple syrup
  • 8 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 4 dashes orange bitters

Add everything to a clean bottle and chill until ready to serve. To make each drink, pour about 2 1/2 oz of the batch into a mixing glass with ice, stir until chilled, then strain over a large cube.

You can also pre-dilute the batch for easier serving. Add about 2 to 2 1/2 oz cold water to the four-drink batch, chill thoroughly, then pour directly over large cubes. Express a fresh orange peel over each glass before serving.

House Note

Use a bourbon with enough proof and structure to hold up against the maple and allspice dram. A bourbon around 90 to 100 proof works especially well because it keeps the drink from becoming too soft or sweet. Personally, I tip the proof even a bit higher and go with Old Grand Dad 114.

The allspice dram is powerful, so measure carefully. Too much can quickly push the drink into clove-heavy territory. If you want a drier version, reduce the maple syrup to a barspoon. If you want a richer after-dinner version, keep the full 1/4 oz and use a slightly higher-proof bourbon.

This should drink like an Old Fashioned first and a winter cocktail second: spirit-forward, aromatic, lightly sweet, and warming.