The original Old-Fashioned, considered the first classic cocktail, really was old-fashioned, a no-frills snort that, in the early days, involved nothing more than a bitters-moistened sugar cube, a chunk of ice, some bourbon and a splash of water. At FLINT, the Oak-Smoked Old-Fashioned – served in the Biltmore restaurant’s new open-air upstairs bar – is decidedly new-fashioned. Smooth, smoky and complex, it achieves grace thanks to several harmonious additions, including Bigallet China-China, a liqueur redolent with cardamom, black pepper, raisins and the bitter orange peel associated with the traditional Old-Fashioned. Swirled in oak smoke before service, it’s an elegant sipper with whisps of chocolate and spice. Perfect for a chilly winter night.
You’ll want to splurge on the good stuff to make this one at home. In a mixing glass, combine 1 ½ oz. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon, 1 oz. Amontillado Sherry, ¾ oz. Giffard Bigallet China-China, ½ oz. Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao and two dashes of Más Mole bitters from AZ Bitters Lab. Add ice and stir. Using a cocktail smoker, add smoke to a glass vessel, then strain the cocktail into the glass, swirling it for several seconds to infuse. Pour the cocktail into a rocks glass with one large ice cube, then twist an orange peel and rim the glass with its essence, for newfangled fun.
$15
FLINT by Baltaire
The Esplanade, 2425 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix
602-812-4818, flintbybaltaire.com
