Rum Old Fashioned

About the Rum Old Fashioned

An Old Fashioned is built on three things done well: a good spirit, a little sugar, and bitters, and the Rum Old Fashioned proves the format works just as well with Timber Creek’s Barrel Aged Florida Rum standing in for whiskey. Muddled sugar and Angostura bitters form the base, the rum adds body and oak, and an orange peel finishes the glass with a bright, aromatic lift. What makes this version worth making is the rum itself. Barrel Aged Florida Rum spends real time in wood, and that barrel contact is what gives the finished cocktail the depth and gentle char notes normally associated with a whiskey Old Fashioned, without pretending to be one.

Timber Creek’s grain to glass process, distilling on its own family farm rather than sourcing bulk spirit from elsewhere, is part of why the rum has enough structure to stand up to a stirred, spirit forward format like this instead of getting lost against the sugar and bitters. The build is simple and worth doing carefully. Muddle a sugar cube with the bitters at the bottom of a mixing glass until mostly dissolved, add the rum and ice, then stir, do not shake, until well chilled and slightly diluted. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and express an orange peel over the top before dropping it in, twisting it first to release the citrus oils across the surface of the drink.

It is a natural match for the FoodPairings listed here, grilled steak and aged cheddar, since the oak and caramel notes in the rum echo the char on the steak and the richness of the cheese, and it also makes a solid choice for a slow, unhurried evening at home. Like most stirred, spirit forward cocktails, this one rewards a slow hand and a clear head, so pace yourself and always drink responsibly.

An Old Fashioned is built on three things done well: a good spirit, a little sugar, and bitters, and the Rum Old Fashioned proves the format works just as well with Timber Creek’s Barrel Aged Florida Rum standing in for whiskey. Muddled sugar and Angostura bitters form the base, the rum adds body and oak, and an orange peel finishes the glass with a bright, aromatic lift. What makes this version worth making is the rum itself. Barrel Aged Florida Rum spends real time in wood, and that barrel contact is what gives the finished cocktail the depth and gentle char notes normally associated with a whiskey Old Fashioned, without pretending to be one.

Timber Creek’s grain to glass process, distilling on its own family farm rather than sourcing bulk spirit from elsewhere, is part of why the rum has enough structure to stand up to a stirred, spirit forward format like this instead of getting lost against the sugar and bitters. The build is simple and worth doing carefully. Muddle a sugar cube with the bitters at the bottom of a mixing glass until mostly dissolved, add the rum and ice, then stir, do not shake, until well chilled and slightly diluted. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and express an orange peel over the top before dropping it in, twisting it first to release the citrus oils across the surface of the drink.

It is a natural match for the FoodPairings listed here, grilled steak and aged cheddar, since the oak and caramel notes in the rum echo the char on the steak and the richness of the cheese, and it also makes a solid choice for a slow, unhurried evening at home. Like most stirred, spirit forward cocktails, this one rewards a slow hand and a clear head, so pace yourself and always drink responsibly.