How To Make A Maple Old Fashioned

The Maple Old Fashioned is an Infatuation original, and it owes its existence to the fact that, as a bartender, I used to work a lot of brunch shifts. During those shifts, there were always little ramekins of maple syrup lying around, and one day, after making my 10,000th Bloody Mary, I decided to do an experiment. Instead of the white sugar or simple syrup I’d typically use in an Old Fashioned, I added a bit of maple syrup. And, since the combination of bourbon and maple syrup felt autumnal, I also added some aromatic bitters - which is a vaguely-named type of bitters that has the cinnamon/clove notes people tend to associate with fall.

The final result of that experiment is this Maple Old Fashioned. It isn’t any more complicated than a regular Old Fashioned, but it’s noticeably different, in that tastes like a cool breeze near a pumpkin patch full of various pastries.

If you happen to be looking for a new bourbon go-to, check out our guide to 5 Great Bourbons For An Old Fashioned.

Maple Old Fashioned

You’ll Need:

Makes 1 Maple Old Fashioned

• Ice

• Rocks glass

• 2 ounces bourbon

• .25 ounce maple syrup

• 4 dashes aromatic bitters

Step One: Maple Syrup

Usually, an Old Fashioned calls for about half an ounce of simple syrup - but maple syrup is sweeter than simple syrup, so you don’t need quite as much. Measure out .25 ounce maple syrup, and add it directly to a mixing glass.

Step Two: Bitters

Instead of Angostura, we’re going to use aromatic bitters for this. The confusing thing is that Angostura bitters also say “aromatic” on the label - but disregard that, and look for a different brand, like Hella Bitters, The Bitter Truth, or Bittermens. They all tend to be brighter and more spice-forward than Angostura, so you’ll actually be able to taste the cinnamon/clove notes in your drink. Add 4 dashes to your mixing glass.

Step Three: Bourbon

Don’t know which bourbon to use? It’s almost as if we read your mind or went through all your text messages. Here’s a guide to 5 Great Bourbons For An Old Fashioned. Once you pick one, put 2 ounces bourbon in your mixing glass.

Step Four: Stir

Add 5 or 6 ice cubes to your mixing glass, and stir everything for 20 seconds. Next, strain your drink into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big ice cube), and garnish with an orange twist. Or, if you prefer, add a cinnamon stick or maybe even a slice of candied bacon. As long as your garnish is on theme for this breakfast-adjacent fall-scented cocktail, you can’t go wrong.