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If I have a favorite cocktail, it has to be Old Fashioneds! I love whiskey and likewise adore a great cocktail that makes it shine, but more than that I love Old Fashioneds because they are super fun to experiment with. I’ve made some lovely maple themed ones for the holidays, but I wanted to create a summery floral option for my whiskey as the weather warms up. So I took a trip to my local tea store and started turning teas and honey into simple syrups for a fun floral Old Fashioned! I loved the combination of honey, hibiscus and orange blossom tea for a nice floral feel that also accentuates the naturally orangey nature of the traditional Old Fashioneds.
When I think of Old Fashioneds I generally think of them as a more warming winter cocktail than a splash of summer, so while I was experimenting with different cocktails recipes for my Goddess of Spring Birthday Party, I set out to make a new springtime old fashioned!
I made a custom sugar syrup with a mix of orange blossom and hibiscus tea to replace the standard simple syrup for this old fashioned and accentuated it with a combination of orange and angostura bitters, giving it lovely herbal and orange notes to compliment the floral and citrus flavors. It also ends up having a nice rosy hue, which I’m always a fan of! I ended up making my syrup by brewing a mix of hibiscus and orange blossom teas, then forming it into a syrup with sugar and honey. The honey gives a lovely summer warmth and perfectly compliments the tasty floral tea.
While designing cocktails for my party, I designed them in batches so I could serve cocktails in Vinyl Labeled Bottles during the party, so I have included both the batch recipe and single cocktails recipes. My favorite Bourbon to use for this recipe is High West Bourbon, which happens to be a whiskey from my home state!
This lovely made a reappearance at my Old Fashioned Bar for my New Years Party, no matter what seasons it's a delicious twist on this classic cocktail that everyone will love!
INGREDIENTS
HONEY HIBISCUS OLD FASHIONED
You’ll notice I use ounces for single cocktails and ml for the batch, these are what I measured each in when I was recipe testing! Jiggers and shot measure ounces more easily, whereas when I’m making a batch cocktail it's usually in a 750ml or 1L bottle.
SINGLE COCKTAIL:
(shaken on ice & served)
2 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Honey Hibiscus Syrup
2 dashes Orange Bitters
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
orange peel for garnish
BATCH COCKTAIL:
(shaken & stored in 1L Bottle)
600 ml Bourbon
150 ml Honey Hibiscus Syrup
20 dashes Orange Bitters
30 dashes Angostura Bitters
orange peel for garnish
HONEY HIBISCUS SUGAR SYRUP
2 Tbsp. Orange Blossom Tea
4 Tbsp. Hibiscus Tea
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Honey
PREPARATION
SUGAR SYRUP PREPARATION
1. Brew tea at 208 for 4-5 minutes. Remove tea dregs and transfer tea to a small pot.
2. Add sugar and whisk over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add honey and whisk over medium heat until the honey is incorporated.
3. Let the mixture cool and refrigerate in a bottle until ready to use.
SINGLE OLD FASHIONED:
1. Add bitters and honey hibiscus simple syrup to glass and stir to mix.
2. Add Ice Cubes and top with whiskey. Garnish with Orange Slice
BATCH BOTTLED OLD FASHIONED:
1. Combine the orange and angostura bitters to a small measuring cup, then transfer to your swing top bottle.
2. Add the bourbon and honey hibiscus simple syrup to the bottle, close and swirl to mix. Then put in your fridge until you’re ready to serve!
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