Winter Rum Old Fashioned
Strong, bold, and flavorful, this drink is an elixir for those trapped in the dead of winter. Enjoy by the fire, preferably with Frank Sinatra playing in the background.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Spiced Simple Syrup recipe in Note
- 2 dashes bitters
- 1 orange wedge
- 2 ounces Ron Zacapa rum or other dark, aged rum
- Cinnamon stick to garnish
Instructions
- Muddle syrup with bitters and the orange wedge in a rocks glass. Fill glass with ice. Top with rum, and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Notes
TRY IT WITH: An aged gouda. “There’s something about rum and the butterscotch-y notes of a L’Amuse, or an aged Beemster, or Remeker; they’re just so soothing together,” says Tenaya Darlington. The vanilla notes of Ron Zacapa work particularly well with the sweet notes of the cheese—it’s almost dessert in a glass (with a kick, of course). We love salty-sweet Uniekaas Vintage Gouda.
Spiced Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
Combine all ingredients in a small pot, and bring to a boil, until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature, and strain out solids. Refrigerate leftover syrup in a glass container for up to 4 weeks.
Spiced Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
Combine all ingredients in a small pot, and bring to a boil, until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature, and strain out solids. Refrigerate leftover syrup in a glass container for up to 4 weeks.
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
Photographer Joe Greene
Joe Greene shoots award-winning food photography for web, print, and packaging. Joe started as a painter, switching to photography when he couldn't get his ideas on canvas fast enough. Joe's clients include magazines, celebrity chefs, restaurants, and more.
