Black Forest Old Fashioned — Whiskey old fashioned with kirsch, chocolate and cherry bitters

Black Forest Old Fashioned

Whiskey old fashioned with kirsch, chocolate and cherry bitters

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 2 dashesFee Brothers Chocolate Bitters
    Rich cocoa notes
    Substitute: Bittercube Blackstrap
  • 2 dashesBittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters
    Cherry depth
    Substitute: Angostura acceptable
  • 1/4 ozKirsch
    German cherry brandy
    Substitute: Cherry Heering acceptable
  • 2 ozBourbon Whiskey
    Use quality bourbon
    Substitute: Rye whiskey acceptable
  • 1 barspoonSimple Syrup
    Rich simple syrup
    Substitute: 1/2 sugar cube

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz bourbon, 1/4 oz kirsch, and 1 barspoon simple syrup to mixing glass
  2. Add 2 dashes chocolate bitters and 2 dashes cherry bitters
  3. Fill with ice and stir until well chilled
  4. Strain over large ice cube in old fashioned glass
  5. Express orange peel oils over drink and garnish with fresh cherry

Technique Notes

Express the peel over the surface and discard it before it goes in the glass. Left in, the pith turns the drink bitter over ten minutes.

Why the Black Forest Old Fashioned Works

Kirsch is dry cherry distillate, cherry bitters are concentrated cherry aromatics — they reinforce rather than duplicate. Chocolate bitters echo the bourbon's vanilla-meets-cocoa barrel notes; the small amount of simple keeps the drink from going Black Forest cake-sweet while preserving the dessert hint.

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