This delightful Smoked Maple Old Fashioned recipe combines the richness of whiskey, the subtle sweetness of maple syrup, and a hint of aromatic bitters, all crowned with a tantalizing touch of smokiness.
The old-fashioned has been a favorite of Kanyi's for a long time. Join us as he walks you through his version of the perfect old-fashioned, where sophistication meets simplicity.
Though its exact origin is debated (possibly early 19th century America), this timeless drink was originally known as the "whiskey cocktail." Its name changed to "Old Fashioned" in the mid-1800s as fancier cocktails began to be made.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Rich Flavor Profile: The combination of whiskey, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters creates a complex and satisfying flavor profile that's both smooth and savory.
Subtle Smokiness: The infusion of smoke to this classic whiskey cocktail adds depth to this drink, elevating its aroma and taste with a hint of wood smoke.
Customizable Sweetness: The use of maple syrup instead of simple syrup, raw sugar, or a sugar cube adds a natural sweetness with earthy undertones to the drink.
Simple Yet Impressive: Despite its sophistication, this simple cocktail is beginner-friendly, requires minimal and simple ingredients, and doesn't need a cocktail shaker.
Versatile Garnishes: The garnishes of orange peel and Luxardo cherry not only enhance the visual appeal of your smoked cocktail. It is a must-try for every whiskey lover and serious bourbon drinker.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Smoked Old Fashioned.
Ingredient Notes
Whiskey: Whiskey serves as the base spirit, adding smoothness, and depth to this classic cocktail. We used the Uncle Nearest brand for this recipe but any high-quality bourbon or rye whiskey can be used as an alternative. Knob creek rye, Redwood Empire, and buffalo creek are brands we love and recommend.
Maple syrup: The maple syrup adds a natural sweetness with hints of caramel and molasses to this tasty cocktail, complementing the whiskey's flavor while adding a subtle earthiness. Honey or simple syrup can be used as alternatives, though they will impart a slightly different flavor to it.
Angostura bitters: These aromatic bitters provide balance to the sweetness of the maple syrup. They also add complexity to the drink with their herbal and spice notes. Other aromatic bitters like Peychaud's or orange bitters can be used instead.
How To Make Smoked Maple Old Fashioned Step-By-Step
Check out these step-by-step instructions with images. Just so you know, you'll find all the details and exact ingredients of this recipe on the printable recipe card below!
Step 1 Prepare the Glass:
Fill a rock or whiskey glass with a large ice cube.
Step 2 Mix the Ingredients:
Begin by adding Angostura bitters into the glass, pure maple syrup and then pouring in the whiskey.
Step 3 Garnish with Orange Peel:
Express the oils from an orange peel by gently twisting it over the drink, then drop the orange peel garnish into the old-fashioned glass.
Step 4 Add Smoky Flavor:
To give your drink a smokey flavor, place a smoker top filled with wood chips over the glass. Light the wood chips with a match, smoke gun, smoke infuser, or torch lighter until they start producing smoke. After it produces your desired amount of smoke cover the old fashioned glass with a coaster or lid to trap the smoke for about 30-60 seconds.
Step 5 Stir:
Remove the coaster or lid and give the drink a gentle stir.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use Quality Ingredients: Always use budget-friendly but high-quality whiskey and fresh ingredients to ensure that you have the best flavor in your Old-Fashioned.
Stir, Don't Shake: Stirring the cocktail gently with ice helps to properly chill and dilute it without overly agitating the ingredients.
Mind the Sweetness: Taste the cocktail before adding more maple syrup.
Prep Ahead: Pre-measuring the ingredients and preparing the garnishes ahead of time will make for an easy assembly when serving.
Additions and Substitutions
Additions: You can enhance this drink with a splash of club soda for a lighter, effervescent taste. You can also experiment with sweet vermouth or different types of whiskey or bitters.
Substitutions: If maple syrup is unavailable, honey, white sugar, or simple syrup can be used as alternatives. Any quality bourbon or rye whiskey or your favorite whiskey can substitute for Uncle Nearest whiskey. You can also try alternative garnishes such as lemon peel or a sprig of rosemary for a different flavor profile.
Your Questions Answered
Any high-quality bourbon or rye whiskey can be used as a substitute for Uncle Nearest whiskey. If you'd like to support African-American distilleries I recommend the following distilleries: https://www.distillerytrail.com/directory-distillery/categories/black-owned-distilleries/
"Uncle Nearest" refers to Nathan "Nearest" Green, who was an African-American Slave and master distiller who mentored Jack Daniel, the founder of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey. "Surprisingly", Green's contributions were largely unrecognized until recent years. Thanks to the efforts of entrepreneur, Fawn Weaver we are now able to recognize and honor his legacy in the whiskey industry.
Here are a few resources that might help: Book - Love & Whiskey, Interview - The History Of Uncle Nearest And Jack Daniels Whiskey. Descendant Interview - Victoria Butler!
No, you don't need a smoking butane gun for a smoky flavor in your old-fashioned cocktail. You can smoke the glass with wood, use smoked ingredients like syrup or bitters, or add a couple of drops of liquid smoke directly to the cocktail. Additionally, you can use a cocktail smoker, whiskey smoker kit, or a Breville smoking gun if you like, but they are not essential for achieving smokiness
Absolutely! You can make a freezer door Smoked Maple Old Fashioned. It is the perfect pre-made drink for a party or lazy weekday.
Hickory, oak, or cherry wood chips are commonly used for smoking cocktails but feel free to experiment with different types to find your preferred flavor profile.
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Recipe
Smoked Maple Old Fashioned
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a rock or whiskey glass with a large ice cube.
- Begin by adding Angostura bitters into the glass, pure maple syrup and then pour in the whiskey.
- To give your drink a smokey flavor, place a smoker top filled with wood chips over the glass. Light the wood chips with a match, smoke gun, smoke infuser, or torch lighter until they start producing smoke.
- After it produces your desired amount of smoke cover the old fashioned glass with a coaster or lid to trap the smoke for about 30-60 seconds.
- Remove the coaster or lid and give the drink a gentle stir.
- Express the oils from an orange peel by gently twisting it over the drink, then drop the orange peel garnish into the old-fashioned glass.
- Optionally, add a Luxardo cherry as a garnish.
Notes
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MPiñon says
This is probably the best Old Fashioneds I've ever had. What really drew me in was using maple syrup instead of simple. It makes big difference. Every sip is so rich and smooth.
Also, I appreciate the heads up in the instructions to taste as you go to check for sweetness. Between the syrup and sometimes the cherry juice, it can be easy to loose track of that.
Delicious cocktail and excellent recipe!
Comfort Food and Drinks says
Thank you so much Molly! So glad you enjoyed the Old Fashioned. We love using maple syrup to sweeten our cocktails because it's not too sweet!
Eva says
This was fantastic. Perfectly balanced.