This cocktail is hands down my husband’s all time favorite! Our Kentucky Owl Old Fashioned is incredibly smooth and has the perfect subtle sweetness to make it a great drink to sip on. Paired with the Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, this is classy and delicious all the way around.
We aren’t overly fancy here in our house, but this cocktail takes us up a notch for sure. I hunted for a while for a gift for my husband for Father’s Day and I kept circling back to trying to find a bourbon that was amazing to sip on on its own but also was great in an Old Fashioned. Countless articles online and sales people pointed me in the direction of Kentucky Owl. My husband is so glad they did! We loves to sip on a good, smooth bourbon from time to time and we enjoyed whipping up a good Old Fashioned from time to time. Well, we are spoiled now… not sure we can go back to something not as quality as this!
What is the difference between a Manhattan and an old fashioned?
There are definitely difference between the two. An Old Fashioned is made with bourbon or rye whiskey, bitters, and simple syrup. A Manhattan is traditionally made with rye whiskey and substitutes uses a sweet vermouth instead of the simple sugar. Vermouth has a very distinctive taste which makes a big difference.
Why is it called an old fashioned?
The name was inspired by the many drinkers who refused to change with the times and ordered their drinks the old fashioned way; a brown spirit, sugar, water and bitters. This came about in the 1880s when people were coming up with ‘trendier’ drinks.
What Are bitters?
Bitters are made from a lot of different types of botanicals, like aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and fruit. These ingredients are infused into a flavorless alcohol base to create a potent flavoring. They have a high alcohol content but only a few drops at a time are used. The bitters we use is infused with orange.
Ingredients for our Kentucky Owl Old Fashioned:
- Kentucky Owl Bourbon
- Simple Syrup – (EASY HOMEMADE RECIPE HERE)
How to make our Kentucky Owl Old Fashioned:
First off, if you don’t have whiskey rocks or a silicone mold to make them, you need to get them now! They melt slowly which helps with the flavor and drink overall! We love THESE ONES because it comes with a set, one makes large round ice cubes and the other makes large squares (which we used in the pictures.)
Place the ice in a glass. Next, pour the 1 1/2 shot of bourbon over the ice. Add 3 teaspoons of simple syrup. If you are making the simple syrup yourself, be sure to let it cool completely (and even be refrigerated) if you can before using.
Now comes the Luxardo cherries. These make a huge difference in this cocktail. The syrup is super thick and the cherries are a really dark red. They pack a great amount of authentic flavor and out weight ANY maraschino you’d get at the supermarket. Add 1-2 to the drink glass with the syrup you scoop out with them.
Next, add about 8 drops of bitters. It is usually one tube worth of liquid. Bitters is very potent so a good notion to take is less is more. Start with the recommended amount, and then add more slowly, if desired
Last, take a vegetable peeler or a super sharp knife and peel a small strip of orange skin. Try to leave behind as much of the white part behind as you can. (That is the most bitter part of the orange.) Twist the peel over the glass and allow any drops of juice to come into the cup. Place the orange peel in the glass and give the drink a little swirl.
The drink is ready! You can always add more ice if the taste seems too strong. But the recipe above has been tried and proven time and again in our home!
We have been Old Fashion’s for a while now and this recipe is one we won’t deter from. It has the perfect combination of smooth bourbon, sweetness, and bold orange flavors thanks to the peel and bitters. The cherries top it off to make our Kentucky Owl Old Fashioned, in our opinion, the best one we’ve ever had. Enjoy!
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Kentucky Owl Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Shots of Bourbon
- 3 teaspoons Simple Syrup
- 6 Drops of bitters
- 2 Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
- 1 small Orange Peel
Instructions
- Place a a whiskey ice cube in a cocktail glass. If you don't have one, fill cup half way full with ice.
- Measure out the Kentucky Owl bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, and cherries and add to glass.
- Last, peel a strip of skin off an orange, twist, and place in glass.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To weaken the drink, keep adding ice.
*This is a top shelf bourbon and it makes a huge difference in taste.
Luxardo Cherries are also more expensive but worth every penny to make this cocktail (and many others)!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 475Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 0g
(Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)