Those who know me are very familiar with the fact that bourbon is my spirit of choice. For the most part, if it’s a brown liquor, I am typically a fan. This is especially true of mixed drinks. I have always loved the complex spicy and earthy notes that bourbon or whiskey imparts to a well-made craft cocktail. I have also found that many people tend to drink bourbon more often in the wintertime than in summer and spring because of those warming, spicy notes I referred to, but I feel it should be indulged in year-round. In my opinion, wintertime cocktails should have more “oomph” in the spice department than what bourbon provides alone. (I can’t help it – I love strong flavors!) This is where Allspice Liqueur steps in nicely.

You might remember the Allspice Dram from my previous post The Allspice Manhattan. Well, if you went out and bought a bottle of the stuff, you are very familiar with the fact that this specific liqueur is outrageously expensive! (Close to $30 for 375 mL!) If you are anything like me, you want to make darn well sure that you use up every drop of that stuff because of the price point. While I personally LOVE the Allspice Manhattan and can drink it all the time, I need a bit more variety in my cocktail enjoyment than just one drink for one liqueur. Which led me to discover the Allspice Old Fashioned. Now, you have to understand that the traditional Old Fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails of all time. It’s simple, straightforward, refined, and elegant. I never thought that it could be improved upon; that is, until I added a hint of Allspice Liqueur. Yep – THIS cocktail is a keeper and ensures that Allspice Dram will hold a permanent place in my everyday bar.

Allspice Old Fashioned

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1 large strip of orange zest (make sure there is not any white pith visable)
• 1 sugar cube
• 3-4 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 cocktail cherry (Please trust me and splurge on the Luxardo cherries for your craft cocktails instead of buying the neon red ones. It makes such a HUGE difference. You will thank me, I promise.)
• 2 ½ ounces of bourbon
• 1/4 ounce St Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram (If you prefer a spicier flavor, up the allspice to 1/2 ounce)
• Ice
• Garnish: 1 orange slice and 1 cocktail cherry on a cocktail pick
• Glass: Old Fashioned
• Special tools: Muddler

Instructions:

• Take your orange zest and give it a quick twist to release the oils. Rub it all around the inside of the glass and drop it in the middle. Place your sugar cube in the bottom of the glass. Add the dashes of bitters directly to the sugar cube so that it is saturated. Place a cocktail cherry in the glass and, using a muddler, vigorously crush the orange zest, sugar cube and cherry.
• Place two ice cubes inside the glass and pour in the bourbon and Allspice Dram. Using a spoon, stir the liquids and ice until the ice is almost dissolved. (Yes, this step is very important – don’t skip it!) Once those ice cubes have almost dissolved, add a few more ice cubes prior to serving and garnish with an orange slice and an additional cherry skewered on a cocktail pick.
• Take a sip, smile, and marvel at the deliciousness of this drink!