Forest Old Fashioned — A zero-proof old fashioned built on a saffron-and-vanilla aperitif

Forest Old Fashioned

A zero-proof old fashioned built on a saffron-and-vanilla aperitif

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 3 dashesAll The Bitter Aromatic Bitters
    Keeps the drink zero-proof end to end
    Substitute: Any alcohol-free aromatic bitters
  • 2 ozEverleaf Forest
    Standing in for the whole spirit, not modifying one
    Substitute: Another non-alcoholic aperitif with real bitterness
  • 1/4 ozMaple Syrup
    Real maple, not pancake syrup
    Substitute: Demerara syrup

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz Everleaf Forest, 1/4 oz maple syrup and 3 dashes All The Bitter aromatic bitters to a rocks glass
  2. Add one large cube and stir briefly

    Short, around fifteen seconds: there is no alcohol here that needs softening

  3. Express an orange peel over the surface and drop it in

Technique Notes

Stir it short. There is no alcohol to soften here, so dilution is working against you rather than for you, and a long stir leaves the maple sitting flat on the bottom.

Why the Forest Old Fashioned Works

The hard part of a zero-proof old fashioned is body: alcohol carries weight, and without it the drink goes thin and watery fast. Everleaf leans on vetiver and saffron for that, and maple rather than sugar keeps something viscous in the glass.

More recipes with All The Bitter Aromatic Bitters or Everleaf Forest