Maple Old Fashioned

A Maple Old Fashioned offers a cozy, seasonal twist on a classic cocktail. No muddling required, just stir together the ingredients and enjoy!

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A Maple Old Fashioned is an easy cocktail 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!

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.

Jump to:

• A maple old fashioned is a bourbon cocktail perfect for fall!
• What's in a Maple Old Fashioned?
• How to make a Maple Old Fashioned
• When to serve a maple old fashioned
• What to serve with a Maple Old Fashioned
• More bourbon cocktails
• Recipe

A maple old fashioned is a bourbon cocktail perfect for fall!

• It's well-balanced: Maple and bourbon combine to make a cocktail that has a bit of bite from the whiskey, but it's balanced out by the maple syrup.
• 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.

What's in a Maple Old Fashioned?

You only need five ingredients to make a Maple Old Fashioned.

• 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.

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.

When to serve a maple 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.

Recipe