Bourbon

Smoked Maple Old Fashioned

A stirred bourbon cocktail that trades simple syrup for cold-smoked maple and adds aromatic depth with two bitters. Winter in a glass.

Double rocks Easy
stirredsmokedwinterclassic-riff
Smoked Maple Old Fashioned cocktail

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Bourbon — Woodford Reserve or a wheated mash preferred
  • ¼ oz Cold-smoked Maple Syrup — see smoking note below
  • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 Dash orange bitters

Method

  1. Place a large single ice cube in a double rocks glass and set aside to chill while you build.
  2. Combine bourbon, smoked maple syrup, and both bitters in a mixing glass.
  3. Add ice and stir for 20–25 seconds — this drink benefits from minimal dilution.
  4. Strain over the large ice cube in the chilled glass.
  5. Hold an orange peel skin-side down over the glass and squeeze firmly to express the oils across the surface.
  6. Run the peel along the rim of the glass and place it on top alongside a cocktail cherry.

Notes

Garnish

Expressed orange peel, smoked cocktail cherry

Tasting Notes

Rich vanilla-oak from the bourbon, dark caramel from the maple, and a subtle campfire smoke note that lifts through the finish. The two bitters add herbal and orange-peel complexity.

The Riff

The Old Fashioned is the oldest named cocktail in the American canon: spirit, sugar, bitters, water. This version preserves the template but replaces plain simple syrup with cold-smoked maple, which introduces a wood-smoke character that echoes the char on the bourbon barrel.

Cold-Smoking Maple Syrup

You don’t need a smoker. The simplest method: place a small dish of maple syrup inside a large covered pot or Dutch oven. Burn a small amount of wood chips (apple, cherry, or hickory) in a heat-safe cup within the same pot. Seal and cold-smoke for 20–30 minutes. The syrup will absorb smoke without heating. Bottle and refrigerate for up to four weeks.

On the Ice

A single large cube (2-inch square) melts slowly and dilutes evenly. It also provides a visually clean presentation that works well for photography. Ice cube molds are a $15 investment that changes every stirred drink you make.

Variation: Rye Swap

Substitute a high-rye whiskey (Rittenhouse, Bulleit Rye) for the bourbon. Rye reads spicier and drier against the maple, producing a more assertive drink. Reduce maple to 1 barspoon if you want a drier profile.