When fall rolls around, I inevitably start drinking lots of Old Fashioneds. It’s the perfect cocktail for autumn, and it’s so endlessly customizable. I love trying new combinations of syrups and bitters with different rye or bourbon to create the perfect drink for my mood. It’s also a great way to test out a new whiskey and see how it behaves in a cocktail after sipping on it neat.
The newest whiskey on my shelf is Legent Bourbon, and it’s my spirit of choice for today’s autumn Old Fashioned. Legent has a really interesting and prestigious pedigree. Touted as a bourbon that “brings east and west together,” it’s distilled by Fred Noe, the seventh-generation Master Distiller of Jim Beam, and blended by Shinji Fukuyo, Chief Blender of Suntory Japanese whisky. They opted to partially age the bourbon in wine and sherry casks, giving it a wonderful complexity and balance. The expertise behind the spirit and the uniqueness of its process really shine through with every sip. It’s unlike any other bourbon I own, but it’s incredibly approachable. It’s also equally at home in a cocktail as it is neat or on the rocks, though I prefer to use it in a spirit-forward recipe that lets it take center stage.
For this recipe, I took the “east meets west” philosophy a bit literally and landed halfway in India. The rich flavor of black tea and warming spices of masala chai are ideal in a fall cocktail. I particularly love smoking the glass with the scent of the chai before serving the cocktail. It really elevates the drink to the extraordinary, which is exactly what this bourbon deserves.
Smoked Chai Old Fashioned
2.5 oz. Legent bourbon
½ oz. chai syrup*
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash cardamom bitters
To prepare the glass, place 1 tsp. of chai tea leaves on a slate board or other fireproof surface. With a match or torch, light the tea so that it glows red and smokes. Place an Old Fashioned glass upside down on top of the tea to collect the smoke.
In a mixing glass, combine Legent, chai syrup, and bitters with ice and stir gently until chilled.
Turn the glass over and place one large cube of ice inside. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass. Garnish with a few more tea leaves and a dried orange slice.
*Chai Syrup: Combine 1/2 cup brewed chai tea and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a saucepan and set over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let cool before using.
This post was sponsored by Legent. All opinions are my own.