Chamomile And Bourbon Come Together For An Unexpectedly Delicate Old Fashioned

Combining unusual flavors into something beautiful and delicious is the art of the bartender and the world of spirits has done it again. Chamomile and bourbon don't seem like they would make good partners at first glance. After all, chamomile is floral and herbal, while bourbon is heavy and dark. However, just because these two ingredients don't resemble each other doesn't mean they can't play nice.

Bourbon is known for its sweetness which has hints of vanilla and butterscotch after being aged in oak barrels. So instead of picturing an unpleasant mashup of harsh whiskey and botanical gin, think more about the marriage of honey and apples. That would get you closer to what this infusion is capable of.

As far as cocktails go, the Old Fashioned is a staple. It's spirit-forward, which can be a bit much for people who enjoy milder cocktails, but the chamomile infusion really plays to the warm hearth vibes of the drink. Combine that with the soothing properties of chamomile tea and you've got a perfect end-of-the-night sipper.

There are multiple ways you can mix these two, however, the one you'll want to choose depends on how much time you have and how strong you want the chamomile flavor to be. The best option if you have the time would be to infuse the bourbon with the chamomile. While this may sound difficult, it's actually very simple to do. 

Take however much bourbon you want to infuse and pour it into a mason jar or another container. Depending on how much alcohol you're using, take one or two chamomile tea bags and put them in the bourbon. Now, let it steep for about five days. Voila, chamomile-infused bourbon.

If you don't have multiple days to wait before you want to try it or you want to taste it before committing a big batch of whiskey to the experiment, you can make it right away. You can either make the regular Old Fashioned cocktail and steep the tea bag in the glass for a few minutes or you can make actual chamomile tea and then combine it with the drink. Whichever route you choose, you'll have an incredible-tasting beverage to enjoy.