The Black Tea Old Fashioned

The black tea old fashioned pairs bourbon with an Earl Grey demerara syrup: deep, lightly sweet, and made for cool evenings. Below is the full recipe for the syrup and the drink.

Why an old fashioned

An old fashioned suits nearly any event. It’s an approachable classic, sophisticated but simple, and it leaves plenty of room for your own twist. With fall approaching, one of our favorites is an Earl Grey version, which sets the rich, toasty oak notes of a great bourbon against the herbal, floral sweetness of a black tea demerara syrup.

Earl Grey demerara syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup demerara (or turbinado) sugar
• 4 Earl Grey tea bags

Combine everything in a small pot and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pot off the heat and let the tea keep steeping for at least 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags, squeezing out any extra syrup, and transfer the syrup to a container in the refrigerator. Once it’s cool, you’re ready to make your old fashioned.

The cocktail

• 2 oz bourbon (your favorite)
• 0.5 oz Earl Grey demerara syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Pour everything into a mixing glass over ice and stir for about 15 seconds. A long stir is the key to a great old fashioned. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or over one large ice cube.

The garnish

Use a vegetable peeler to take a large piece of orange peel, avoiding as much of the white pith as you can. Hold it skin side toward the drink and squeeze it in half to express the orange oil over the glass. Then drop the peel in.

The result is a deep, lightly sweet, vibrant cocktail that will warm your guests at any fall event. Cheers.

If you’d like this on the menu at your own gathering, explore our bar and bartending service, then start planning your event with us.