Alter The Bourbon Notes In Your Old Fashioned With An Easy Technique

While a smooth old fashioned cocktail recipe is a great starting point for practicing at-home bartenders, even the classics deserve a bit of improvisation. The potent flavor extracts known as bitters can be used to add flavor and depth to basic drink recipes, and the right splash brings out some of the softer tasting notes hiding in the bottles of bourbon you use to concoct your drinks. Though droplets of bitters were originally used as medicine, they have since landed on bars around the world to help build more interesting and unique drinks. Think of them like a flavor enhancer, with a variety of tastes to choose from.

If you have a particular bourbon that suits your palate, you can dress up your old fashioneds with a particular bitters — or a combination of several at once. Though orange bitters are commonly used with these cocktails, combining them with other kinds can build texture and layers in your drink. Dozens of brands peddle cocoa and orange varieties in addition to a range of Angostura, aromatic, and Amaro Di Angostura. The anise and cherry notes of Peychaud's bitters can bring a floral touch to bourbons with sweeter tasting notes of vanilla, caramel, and peach, while splashing a chocolaty option into an old fashioned cocktail will steer your beverage into a lane that balances dessert and drink. Any buttery popcorn, malty, or cereal notes of your bourbon may take on a similar quality when combined with the decadent ingredient.

For themed nights and seasonal parties, the spicy touch of aromatic bitters like Angostura can lend perfectly to autumnal cocktails as waves of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves complement other flavors of fall. Try elevating a smoked old fashioned cocktail recipe with your unique combinations, and adjust ingredients to match menus or local ingredients. Tasteful garnishes of an orange peel or speared cherries can emphasize the selections of bitters you poured in your drink.

Remember that to make bitters, a flavorless base of alcohol is infused with an assortment of herbs, botanicals, and other natural ingredients, so you may also enjoy sampling bitters alongside bourbon, even before putting together a cocktail. Once you're familiar with the tasting notes and set out to craft your bourbon-based cocktails, sip your creations before going all in with flavors. It doesn't take much to change a basic drink, and even something as straightforward as bourbon served on the rocks can take on new dimensions with the inclusion of bitters. Begin your bartending experiments by adding a quick dash of bitters before adjusting your beverage recipes accordingly after sampling the result. A quick splash is all you need to pivot drinks into a more interesting lane packed with layers of flavor in each glass. This is a process meant to be enjoyed.