Cold Brew Old Fashioned

Before you start

An Old Fashioned is spirit, sugar, bitters and dilution, so there is room for one more flavor if it is strong and concentrated. Cold brew concentrate fits: it is smooth, low in acidity and chocolatey, and a small measure adds roast and depth without watering down the drink the way hot coffee would. This original build keeps bourbon in charge and treats the coffee like a bitters-strength accent.

Strength is the key variable. Concentrate brewed around 1:4 to 1:5 coffee to water is what this spec expects; ready-to-drink cold brew is much weaker and needs a larger pour. Rich demerara syrup echoes the caramel in both bourbon and coffee. Stir with plenty of ice, because this drink is about as strong as the classic and needs the same dilution.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon — around 45% ABV
• 15 ml (½ oz) cold brew coffee concentrate — about 1:4 to 1:5 coffee to water
• 7.5 ml (¼ oz) rich demerara syrup (2:1)
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for stirring
• 1 large ice cube — for serving
• 1 wide strip orange peel
• 3 coffee beans — optional garnish

Method

1. Put the rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice water while you mix.
2. Measure the bourbon, cold brew concentrate, demerara syrup and both bitters into the mixing glass.
3. Fill the mixing glass three-quarters with cold ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds. The drink should feel cold through the glass and taste smooth, with no alcohol burn.
4. Discard the chilling water and place one large cube in the glass. Strain the drink over it.
5. Twist the orange peel over the surface, skin side down, to release its oils. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.
6. Balance three coffee beans on the cube if you like, and serve.

Tips for success

• If you only have ready-to-drink cold brew, use 30 ml and cut the stirring time by about 5 seconds to account for the extra water.
• Taste the concentrate before using it. Bitter or sour concentrate will show up clearly in a drink this spirit-forward.
• Make a bottled batch for a group: 8 drinks of bourbon, concentrate, syrup and bitters plus 120 ml water, kept in the refrigerator for up to a week because of the coffee.

Substitutions

Bourbon

Rye gives a spicier, drier drink. Aged rum leans into caramel and is very good with coffee.

Demerara syrup

Maple syrup adds a woody sweetness; use 5 ml because it is sweeter by volume. Plain 1:1 syrup works at 15 ml.

Cold brew concentrate

A 15 ml shot of chilled espresso works, but it is more acidic and adds crema that clouds the drink slightly.

Variations

Mezcal cold brew Old Fashioned

Use 45 ml reposado tequila and 15 ml mezcal, and swap orange bitters for chocolate bitters.

Troubleshooting

It tastes like iced coffee, not an Old Fashioned

The coffee is too strong or the pour too large. Cut it to 10 ml or dilute your concentrate.

It is harsh and boozy

It was under-stirred. Use cold, dry ice and stir the full 25 to 30 seconds.

It tastes sour

Some concentrates turn sour as they age. Use concentrate within a week or so of brewing, and keep it refrigerated.

Storage

Serve as soon as it is stirred. Keep cold brew concentrate refrigerated in a sealed container and use it within about 1 to 2 weeks, discarding it if it smells sour. Rich demerara syrup keeps refrigerated for about a month.

Safety notes

Contains 60 ml of roughly 45% bourbon, about 1.5 U.S. standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Cold brew concentrate is strong, so even 15 ml adds a noticeable dose of caffeine; FDA cites 400 mg a day as generally not linked to negative effects for most healthy adults. Adults of legal drinking age only; do not drink and drive.