The recipe
Midnight Rye Old Fashioned
Makes 1 drink. Black pepper, clove and dried herbs. Drier and sharper than bourbon, and the original Old Fashioned spirit.
Ingredients
| 2 oz60 ml | Rye Whiskey100 proof |
| ¼ oz7 ml | Rich brown sugar syrup2 parts brown sugar to 1 part water |
| 1 dash | Black walnut bitters |
| 2 dashes | Chocolate bitters |
| 1 strip | Orange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith |
| 1 | Brandied cherry |
| A pinch | Oak chipsFor smoking the glass |
| 1 | Large ice cube |
Bottles to try
$Rittenhouse Rye · Old Overholt · Sazerac Rye
$$Michter's US*1 Rye · Pikesville Rye
$$$WhistlePig 10 Year
$ under $40 · $$ $40–70 · $$$ $70+ · typical 750 ml price
Method
- Smoke the glass first. Light oak chips with a smoking gun or torch, trap the smoke under a cloche or the upturned rocks glass, and leave it covered.
- Add the rich brown sugar syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
- Pour in the whiskey. Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds, until the outside is cold to the touch.
- Uncover the smoked glass. Add one large cube to the rocks glass and strain the drink over it.
- Express the orange peel over the drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.
- Add a brandied cherry on a pick.
Batch for 8
Making it for a crowd? Mix ahead, chill, and pour.
Ingredients
| 16 oz475 ml · 2 cups | Rye Whiskey100 proof |
| 2 oz60 ml | Rich brown sugar syrup2 parts brown sugar to 1 part water |
| 8 dashes≈ 1 ¼ tsp | Black walnut bitters |
| 16 dashes≈ 2 ½ tsp | Chocolate bitters |
| 4 oz120 ml | Cold waterStands in for stirring dilution |
| 8 strips | Orange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith |
| 8 | Brandied cherries |
| A pinch | Oak chipsFor smoking the glass |
| 8 | Large ice cubes |
Method
- In a pitcher or bottle, combine the whiskey, rich brown sugar syrup and bitters.
- Add 4 oz of cold water. This replaces the dilution you'd get from stirring.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Just before serving, smoke each glass with oak chips and keep it covered until you pour.
- Pour 2 ⅞ oz per glass over one large cube.
- Express the orange peel over each drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.
- Add a brandied cherry on a pick.