Want to create a showstopping holiday cocktail that will impress your friends and help you get through your family gatherings? Well, my friend, Trade School's famous Toasted Old Fashioned is the drink for you. We're talking about a drink that involves fire, deliciously spiced cinnamon stick stirrers, and a burnt simple syrup that will make you think that you've pulled right up to the coziest fireplace in the world.
3 Dashes Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters
2 Dashes Fee Brothers Orange Bitters
2 oz. Old Forester Bourbon (don't worry about getting the good stuff - the cheap stuff is fine)
1 oz. Burnt Simple Syrup (Sugar and Water)
Ice
Sugar Cinnamon Sticks (Sugar, Old Forester and Cinnamon Sticks)
Orange Peel
In a metal saucepan (DO NOT do this in a saucepan that has a non-stick surface - stainless steel is your friend) add 2 Cups of Sugar - that's right, just sugar - no water yet
Cook on Medium heat while constantly stirring with a WOODEN SPOON (not plastic or metal - plastic will melt, metal will burn the crap out of your hand) until the sugar browns, melts into a liquid, blackens and starts to bubble
IMPORTANT: Watch and stir the sugar the whole time!!!!!! The MOMENT the mixture starts to bubble/boil, take the saucepan off the heat. If you miss this moment, the sugar may bubble over the surface of the saucepan and make a horrible mess and set off your fire alarms. (learn from my mistakes!)
After a minute, place the saucepan in your sink and gently add in 1 Cup of Water
Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar and water are completely combined
Place the Burnt Simple Syrup in a glass jar or similar container
Once cooled (a couple of hours), you can put it in your refrigerator and it will keep for a few weeks
On a plate, add a 1/4 in. layer of Sugar
In another bowl, douse a number of whole Cinnamon Sticks in Old Forester Bourbon and let them sit for a minute or two
Remove the Cinnamon Sticks from the bowl and place them on the plate with the Sugar
Cover the Cinnamon Sticks with another 1/4 in. of Sugar so that the sticks are completely covered on all sides with Sugar
Cover the plate with plastic wrap and let them sit overnight
When you remove the Sugar Cinnamon Sticks the next morning, place them in a glass jar or plastic container.
Add 3 dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters and 2 dashes of Fee Brothers Orange Bitters to a cocktail glass
Add 1 oz. of Burnt Simple Syrup and 2 oz. of Old Forester Bourbon
Add Ice (preferably one big square cube) and stir the contents of the glass to chill
Balance a Sugar Cinnamon Stick on the rim of the glass and sprinkle it lightly with a flammable liquor (Rum 151, Everclear, whatever - it's not for flavor, it just needs to BURN! I believe anything over 80 proof will do the job.
Use a peeler (like a potato or apple peeler) to remove a strip of rind from an Orange - try to get the outside skin and a little of that white stuff under the surface.
Ignite the Cinnamon Stick with a Lighter to caramelize the sugars.
Over the burning Sugar Cinnamon Stick bend the Orange Peel in half like a "C" so that the outside part of the orange is facing the fire and squeeze it quickly so that the small cells on the peel explode and shoot their citric acid at the flames. If done properly, this will cause sparks to explode over the drink and will coat the top of the cocktail with the citrus oils.
Knock the toasted (still burning) Sugar Cinnamon Stick in the drink.
Rim the glass lip with the Orange Peel and drop it into the cocktail. Then stir the ingredients and serve!