In a very convenient arrangement, it turns out that Cedar Local, where bartender John McCarthy works, is just up the street from Metro’s New York offices. So of course we needed to have him come by in person and show us how to make the Smoky Old Black Fashioned, which is a twist on the classic Old Fashioned using The Black Grouse whiskey and a blend of bitters.
Let’s just say that his visit was very popular among the Metro staff, since we needed several volunteer taste-testers to get it right. Yes.
Watch the video to learn how you can make it at home. (Or, if you’re in NYC, just visit 25 Cedar St. to try one at Cedar Local — and say hi to McCarthy for us!) You can also follow along with the recipe below:
Smoky Old Black Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 ounces The Black Grouse
.25 ounces Honey Syrup (see below)
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Orange bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Pour over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with two lemon peels (and feel free to run one along the rim for some extra scent and flavor).
If the recipe works out, it should look something like this.
Credit: Carlos Detres
BONUS: Honey Syrup
To make one quart:
Bring 16 ounces of water to boil and remove from heat. Add 16 ounces of honey and stir until honey is dissolved. Refrigerate.
For more spirits stories, follow T. Michelle Murphy on Twitter: @TMichelleMurphy.
