The Old Fashioned is arguably the greatest and most versatile cocktail on earth, and I love to try new twists on it from time to time. It is by definition a “true” cocktail: spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. Here’s a twist I tried on the Old Fashioned recently:

Maple Old Fashioned (by Greg Mays)

• add 1 tsp of maple syrup (the real stuff, from trees) to an old fashioned glass
• add 2 dashes of orange bitters (I used Dashfire)
• fill the glass with ice
• add 1 1/2 oz of bourbon and 1/2 oz aged rum
• stir until cold
• garnish with a long, curled orange peel (use a channel knife)

What variations do you like to try on your Old Fashioneds? Here are a few of the variations I’ve featured here at Simple Cocktails so far: Irish | Gin | Old Tom Gin | Tequila | Vodka