Smoke & Peel

Old Fashioned · Islay Scotch

Island Ember

Peated Islay Scotch softened with honey and orange bitters, served over a single sphere.

ABV
32%
Calories, est.
160
In the glass
2 ⅞ oz
Serve
Rocks, sphere
Make it your own Jump to the recipe

For adults 21 and over. Please drink responsibly.

How it tastes

Peat smoke and sea salt up front, with honey and citrus sweetening the middle. The lemon peel brightens the finish.

Smoke-driven, with citrus and fruit on the finish. Firm at about 32% ABV once diluted. Sweetened with honey syrup.

Sweet
Spice
Smoke
Fruit
Bitter
Oak

Why it works

Islay whisky is the smokiest Scotch, and smoke loves sweetness. Honey syrup has a floral edge that cools the peat without hiding it, and orange bitters add citrus so the drink does not feel heavy. The sphere melts slowly, so the drink stays cold and smoky for longer.

Tips

  • Start with a widely available Islay such as Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10. Both are bold but not too expensive.
  • Islay is strongly flavored, so keep the sweetener light at first and add more only if you need it.
  • Make honey syrup by stirring equal parts honey and warm water. Cold honey will not mix.

The recipe

Island Ember Old Fashioned

Makes 1 drink. Peat smoke, sea salt and iodine from the island of Islay. A campfire in a glass.

Ingredients

Ingredients for one Island Ember Old Fashioned
2 oz60 mlIslay Scotch86 proof
¼ oz7 mlHoney syrup1 part honey to 1 part warm water
1 dashAngostura bitters
2 dashesOrange bitters
1 stripLemon peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
1Ice sphere

Bottles to try

$$Laphroaig 10 · Ardbeg 10
$$$Lagavulin 16

$ under $40 · $$ $40–70 · $$$ $70+ · typical 750 ml price

Method

  1. Add the honey syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. Pour in the whiskey. Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds, until the outside is cold to the touch.
  3. Add an ice sphere to the rocks glass and strain the drink over it.
  4. Express the lemon peel over the drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Batch for 8

Making it for a crowd? Mix ahead, chill, and pour.

Ingredients

Ingredients for eight Island Ember Old Fashioned drinks
16 oz475 ml · 2 cupsIslay Scotch86 proof
2 oz60 mlHoney syrup1 part honey to 1 part warm water
8 dashes≈ 1 ¼ tspAngostura bitters
16 dashes≈ 2 ½ tspOrange bitters
4 oz120 mlCold waterStands in for stirring dilution
8 stripsLemon peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
8Ice spheres

Method

  1. In a pitcher or bottle, combine the whiskey, honey syrup and bitters.
  2. Add 4 oz of cold water. This replaces the dilution you'd get from stirring.
  3. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour.
  4. Pour 2 ⅞ oz per glass over an ice sphere.
  5. Express the lemon peel over each drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Make it your own

  • Use maple instead of honey for a woodier, campfire feel.
  • Add a dash of chocolate bitters for something darker.
  • Try Speyside Scotch for a gentler, fruitier version.

Change anything, see it in the glass.

Open this recipe in the builder to swap the whiskey, sweetener, bitters, ice or smoke and watch the ABV and flavor profile move.

Open in the builder

More Old Fashioneds

Bourbon

The Standard

The Old Fashioned most people should learn first: bourbon, a little rich demerara syrup, two kinds of bitters and an orange peel, stirred cold over one large cube.

33% ABV · ~175 calRead recipe
Bourbon · smoked

Maple & Hickory

Maple syrup and black walnut bitters under a thin cap of hickory smoke.

37% ABV · ~205 calRead recipe
Rye Whiskey

Rye Heirloom

The old way: a muddled sugar cube, bitters, 100-proof rye and a twist of both lemon and orange.

39% ABV · ~185 calRead recipe