Maple Old Fashioned: A Simple Fall Mocktail
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One of the best flavours of fall is maple, and although you can enjoy real maple syrup all year round, there’s just something magical about the way it pairs with food from the fall harvest like apples, pumpkins and more.
It’s also a great combination with the malty caramel flavours in bourbon, including zero proof bourbon. It’s a perfect time of year to light a fire in the fireplace and sit back and relax with a bourbon or whiskey-based mocktail.
Which non-alcoholic bourbon to use in a mocktail
An old-fashioned cocktail is a booze forward drink, and if you’re a fan of this type of cocktail it’s definitely hard to replicate with non-alcoholic. However, as zero proof spirits evolve, they become more and more ‘sippable’ - the ability to drink them over ice with very little complications. The Free Spirits Bourbon has always been at the top of the list when it comes to quality in this category and they too have evolved their formula over the years. For Canadians, HP Single Malt is the ideal option to use in a classic cocktail. Another option I like is Bare Zero Proof’s version of a bourbon dupe smells like a Bath & Body Works, tastes awful on it’s own but really sings in a plain Old Fashioned.
How to use zero proof bourbon in classic recipes
One thing to consider when trying to replicate a cocktail with minimal ingredients is the ratio and the mouthfeel. Some non-alcoholic whiskeys are fiery and bold, but they’re also thin and viscous which doesn’t make it pleasant to drink in a recipe like a manhattan or an old fashioned. For most recipes, I use at least 1.5x the amount a classic cocktail would require and sometimes even 2x. Start with 1.5x and depending on your zero proof whiskey or bourbon choice, you will know if you need to add more for the next drink.
FIND OUR LIST OF THE BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC WHISKEY HERE
Using bitters in mocktails
An old-fashioned cocktail or mocktail recipe calls for bitters. It’s up to you whether you use regular aromatic bitters like Angostura or use alcohol-free All The Bitters Aromatic Bitters. The volume of alcohol in regular bitters, if you use a few dashes, is approxiately 0.5% so if you add this to a recipe with two ounces of 0.5% whiskey, your ABV can rise to above 1%. Only do what you feel comfortable with in your recipe. All The Bitters bitters are all 0.0% alcohol - they do not use alcohol as a solvent in their bitters production meaning it’s truly 0.0% alcohol.
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Recipe: Maple Old Fashioned Mocktail
This recipe for a maple old fashioned is extremely easy, and once you’ve figured out which good non-alcoholic spirit you want, you can make this in under a minute.
2.5 oz Free Spirits Bourbon or other non-alcoholic whiskey bourbon
.5 oz maple syrup
4-5 dashes of bitters (alcoholic or alcohol-free)
A splash of ginger ale or ginger beer to top it up
Orange peel for expressing and for garnish
Maraschino cherry
Preparation
Add a large cube of ice to a small rocks glass
Pour in the first three ingredients in order.
Gently stir to combine and chill.
Top up the glass with ginger beer or ginger ale.
Express your orange peel over the top and then add it to the lip of the glass.
Garnish with the cherry.
Cheers and enjoy!
Maple Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 oz non-alcoholic bourbon
- 1 oz maple syrup
- 3-4 dashes aromatic bitters (with alcohol or without - your choice)
- A splash of ginger ale (this is not technically the classic recipe, so you can take it or leave it. I liked it because it added another layer of zing and marries nicely with the flavours from the bitters)
- Orange peel
Instructions
- Add the first three ingredients into a small rocks glass
- Stir gently to combine
- Add a big square ice cube
- Top with a splash of ginger beer for extra fall flavour
- Express your orange peel over the glass and then add to drink as garnish
