It’s a rainy cold day in Toronto, which makes it the perfect occasion for this Canadian Old Fashioned. A classic Old Fashioned is served with bourbon, bitter, a bit of simple syrup and maybe, if you’re daring, a bit of orange peel. So, there is a bit of a freestyle twist here, and conservative fans of the classic Old Fashioned might see this as nothing less than heresy.
However, I recommend trying it first, and then making your judgement. At least, eat the bacon.
My Canadian Old Fashioned here draws on a cocktail we had in a restaurant in Quebec City back in November. Like today, it was a cold and rainy winter day as we found our way to a very hipster but also incredibly homey restaurant called La Bûche (The Mouth). We liked it the minute we saw the name.
Inside we were seated on log cabin style wooden long benches along wonky wooden tables clad in red and white checkered table cloths, and all drinks were served in no-fuss glass mugs. The place was packed with people in lumberjack shirts (of the fashionable kind), and guys wearing hipster full beards and man buns. The music and general vibe was a heartwarming mix of Canadian country and German Octoberfest, as was the menu.
What immediately caught our eyes when looking through what the place had to offer was that you could order bacon on the side with every dish. Including the desserts! My husband’s reaction to seeing this was deepfelt: ‘They really should make this place a franchise!” So of course the cocktail we chose had a big fat juicy slice of bacon on top, and we fell in love at first sip. Maybe you will too?
Old Fashioned with maple syrup, lime and bacon
Ingredients for 1 drink
2 oz good quality bourbon
1 1/4 tsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp lime juice
4 drops Angustora bitter
1 thick slice of crisp bacon
Lots of ice
Directions
1. First, fry the bacon and leave to cool on a piece of paper towel.
2. Mix the bourbon with maple sirup, lime juice and angustora bitter and stir well.
3. Fill a cocktail glass with ice and pour the drink over. Garnish with the fried bacon slice and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
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