How to Master a Smoked Old Fashioned at Home

Highland Park Smoked Old Fashioned

Ingredients

1 raw sugar cube

2–3 drops smoked bitters

2 ounces Highland Park 12 Year Old

Orange twist, for garnish

Instructions

Drop a sugar cube in a tumbler glass and add a few drops of smoked bitters. Muddle the two together, then add a large cube of ice. Add Highland Park 12 Year Old Whisky and stir to combine. Flame the orange peel as desired, running the smoked peel along the glass edge before adding to the drink.

Pairing Suggestion

Pair this cocktail with a dish like Devils on Horseback, perfectly sweet dates wrapped in hickory-smoked bacon. It’s all about balance, and that smoky-sweet combination strikes a chord for this Smoked Old Fashioned. 

Anyone who knows their Scotch knows the value of smoke, the often indescribable taste of a first sip of whisky. And every region of Scotland takes pride in their peat, the magical ingredient that gives Scotch its smoky flavor.

The Orkney Islands’ peat is like no other. A unique treeless region of Scotland, some of Orkney’s peat is up to 9,000 years old. And it’s this rare peat which provides Highland Park 12 Year Old with its stand-out heathery aroma.

Our Old Fashioned recipe also stands out from the rest, highlighting the perfectly balanced smokiness of Highland Park 12 Year Old with smoked bitters instead of the traditional Angostura bitters used in an Old Fashioned. The result is a delightfully balanced cocktail that’s just the right amount of aromatics and peat.

Want to make this drink for yourself? Check out the video to learn how to create your own Smoked Old Fashioned at home. And to top it off, flame an orange peel over the cocktail to bring out those smoky flavors before serving to your guests — or yourself.

Devils on Horseback

Serves 6 as an appetizer
Active time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

12 large dates (preferably medjool)
6 strips smoky bacon
4 ounces blue cheese
12 marcona almonds
Toothpicks or short metal skewers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay bacon on a sheet tray and bake until half done, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels (leave the oven on).
2. Cut a slit in each date and remove the pit, keeping the date intact. Stuff a small amount of blue cheese and a marcona almond in each date. Cut the bacon strips in half and wrap each date with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick or small skewer.
3. Return the dates to the oven and bake until bacon is cooked through and crispy on the edges, another 6 to 8 minutes.