Cocktails by Betty | Blackberry Old Fashioned

I’m adding a new section to my blog! Mixology is a hobby of mine. I love hosting an evening with friends, or throwing parties. Whatever the occasion, it’s fun to make a good classic cocktail to sip on, or experiment and try something new. Today I’m sharing a classic cocktail, with a twist. Here is my recipe for a Blackberry Old Fashioned.

INGREDIENTS:•2 ounces bourbon or rye

•1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

•4 dashes orange bitters

•2 dashes aromatic bitters

•4 blackberries

•1 sugared orange slice

INSTRUCTIONS:1 In an cocktail shaker, muddle 4 blackberries

2 Combine bourbon, maraschino liqueur, and bitters in the shaker

3 Add 1 large ice cube to an Old Fashioned glass

4 Strain drink into glass

5 Stir 15 seconds

6 Garnish with a sugared orange slice and blackberries.

7 Sip and enjoy!

For this cocktail I did select a bourbon, but I would highly recommend using a rye if you’d prefer. I used 3 Howls Backbeat Bourbon because I thought the flavor would go well with the blackberries and orange (and it did). I also heard this bourbon had rye characteristics, and I love small batch/local options for my bar cart. In a classic Old Fashioned recipe, it calls for a sugar cube. But I really wanted to experiment with maraschino liqueur, after having it in a drink at Canon. And since maraschino liqueur is sweet, I decided that would replace adding sugar to this drink. My final addition was inspired by a trip to Trader Joe’s, haha! They had this pack of sugared dried orange slices that looked beautiful and yummy, and so I really wanted to try that to garnish this drink.

Try it out and enjoy it for Happy (Halloween) Hour, and by the fire pit if you can!