This Maple Old Fashioned recipe offers a cozy, seasonal twist on a classic bourbon cocktail. No muddling required, just stir together the ingredients and enjoy!
A Maple Old Fashioned is an easy cocktail recipe to make when the temperatures start to dip. Bourbon is what you want when the weather turns crisp and you need a little warm up. So let's pair it with another classic fall ingredient - maple syrup!
So what is it? It's an Old Fashioned made with maple syrup, but it's also even simpler than that. There's no need to muddle sugar, cherries, and oranges in the bottom of the glass.
The maple syrup takes the place of the sugar as our sweetener. Then we'll simply stir the liquids together, pour over ice, garnish and serve. If you're loving this twist on a classic, try my Maple Manhattan cocktail recipe!
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Maple Old Fashioned ingredients
You only need five ingredients to make a Maple Old Fashioned, and it's so easy to make. I worked as a bartender, and I can tell you that the beauty of this drink is that all you have to do is gently stir, no muddling required!
- Bourbon: Choose your favorite brand. I like Four Roses, it's high-quality, yet affordable which makes it perfect for mixed drinks.
- 100% pure maple syrup: Use 100% pure maple syrup—not the sweetened stuff. The true maple flavor and mellow sweetness is what we are looking for here.
- Angostura bitters: A dash of bitters adds complexity.
- Cocktail cherries: I like a cocktail cherry like Fabbri Amarena Cherries or Luxardo, but maraschino cherries work just as well.
- Orange peel: The orange peel will give a nice aroma to round out the flavors of the drink.
How to make a Maple Old Fashioned
Step 1: Make the orang peel garnish
Use a vegetable peeler to cut large strips of orange zest.
Step 2: Mix and chill!
Add ice to a small pitcher or cocktail shaker. This is the cocktail shaker I use, the lid is also a measuring cup.
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Pour in the bourbon, maple syrup, dashes of bitters and stir briefly to chill.
Step 3: Pour and garnish!
Strain the cocktail mixture over ice into rocks glasses, add cherries. Gently bend the orange peel longways and skin side down over the cocktail glass to release the zest and drop into the drink.
Recipe FAQ
Because it's just made with maple syrup and bourbon, you should always stir a maple Old Fashioned. A gentle stir is enough chill the drink. Shaking it would make it foamy and water it down too much. (In most cases, only cocktails with juice should be shaken.)
Serve over cubed ice, not crushed. You could use one giant ice cube or a few smaller ones.
Yes! A maple Old Fashioned is a great batch cocktail recipe, but because it is made with real maple syrup, you'll need to store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It can be made up to a week (or more) ahead for parties, or just to have at the ready for an impromptu weeknight happy hour.
When to serve a maple syrup Old Fashioned
- Perfect for fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
- The mellow sweetness makes it an excellent choice for an after dinner drink.
- A maple Old Fashioned makes a great batch cocktail if you're expecting company, or make a batch to have it ready in the fridge when you want one just for yourself!
What to serve with a Maple Old Fashioned
Whether you're serving them for happy hour or a dinner party, these snacks and main dishes will pair perfectly with a Maple Old Fashioned.
- Creamy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Dip screams fall and is ready in about 30 minutes.
- Parmesan Rosemary Gougères with Goat Cheese are a classy cocktail bite.
- Cast Iron Skillet Steak because steak + bourbon = classic combo.
- The sweetness of caramelized red onion in this Baked Pasta with Goat Cheese will complement the maple flavors perfectly.
More bourbon cocktails
These bourbon cocktails are great fall and winter warmers, and can also be enjoyed any time of year.
- A Manhattan Cocktail is a true classic that never goes out of style.
- Try a Boulevardier Cocktail when you want that bitter twist that only Campari can offer.
- A Gold Rush Cocktail is a modern twist on a whiskey sour. It's a refreshing mix of bourbon, lemon and honey.
- This Paper Plane cocktail recipe is easy to make because all of the ingredients are measured in equal parts.
A maple Old Fashioned is a bourbon cocktail perfect for fall!
- It's well-balanced: Maple syrup and bourbon combine to make an Old Fashioned cocktail that has a bit of bite from the whiskey, but it's balanced out by the maple flavor.
- The warmth of the bourbon + the caramel toastiness of maple syrup = fall flavors to the MAX!
- Believe it or not, it's a lot less sweet than a traditional Old Fashioned cocktail. The maple syrup is much more mellow in terms of sweetness.
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Recipe
Maple Old Fashioned Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ½ ounce pure maple syrup
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 2 cocktail cherries
- 1 strip orange zest
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to cut large strips of orange zest.
- Add ice to a small pitcher or cocktail shaker. Pour in the bourbon, maple syrup and dashes of bitters and stir briefly to chill.
- Strain the cocktail mixture into rocks glasses filled with ice, add cherries. Gently bend the orange peel longways and skin side down over the cocktail glass to release the zest and drop into the drink.
Notes
- This makes a great batch cocktail! Just multiply the ingredients by the number of people you're serving. Store in the refrigerator.
- If you want it a little sweeter, you can definitely add a bit more maple syrup.
Jorie Gold
Perfect drink to start off my Thanksgiving break! Thanks Deb!
Debra
Hi Jorie,
Yay! Cheers!
Thanks for trying it out!
Deb