Non-alcoholic Smoked Rosemary Old Fashioned
/This recipe is graciously sponsored by Stirrings. All opinions are our own.
An old fashioned cocktail is very simple, with only a few ingredients, but yet so difficult to get right especially when there’s no alcohol. Cocktail masters know you have to use the best ingredients in exactly the right proportion and temperature to hit the mark. If you’re sober curious or living an alcohol-free lifestyle, having a real old fashioned cocktail is not in the cards for you, but there is a great non-alcoholic solution if you’re looking for that same experience.
For a non-alcoholic old fashioned, it’s really all about the presentation - a big square ice cube in an etched rocks glass and some premium non-alcoholic whiskey. We went the extra mile and made orange slice rosebud ice cubes, but you don’t have to do that, you can just use regular ice.
Using an old-fashioned cocktail blend or mixer
Simple syrup and bitter orange are the quintessential elements to an old fashioned, but what if you don’t have simple syrup on hand? And how much orange do you need to put in? Should you muddle in an orange slice, squeeze it or spritz it over the drink? We don’t have time to figure that out, so that’s why we really like Stirrings. Their Simple Old fashioned cocktail blend uses real juice, and helps to take the guesswork out of proportions. It adds just the perfect hint of fresh orange and cherry to your non-alcoholic whiskey, and makes it taste like a hand-crafted old fashioned cocktail.
Smoking Your Glass
One thing that really changed the game for us was learning how to add smokey notes to a drink with the help of a kitchen torch. We always thought ‘smoking’ drinks was the domain of bartenders in cocktail-focused watering holes, but it’s actually really easy. If you’re making non-alcoholic cocktails it definitely gives an edge to your drink. The peatiness or smokiness of whiskey, scotch and bourbon is almost always missing from non-alcoholic whiskey, so this adds it back in. Rosemary is a great herb to use for smoking, as it not only adds smoke but sone subtle flavour as well.
You can find a simple kitchen torch on Amazon for roughly $15.
Which non-alcoholic whiskey to use?
Non-alcoholic whiskey is plentiful these days, so it doesn’t matter which one you use as long as it’s the one you like. There are sweeter versions with added flavours, and more premium versions that burn like the real thing. Our recommendation is Free Spirits Spirit of Bourbon or Spiritless Kentucky 74.
How much sugar is in non-alcoholic whiskey and an Old Fashioned mocktail?
Since simple syrup is a regular ingredient in an Old Fashioned, you can’t escape the sugar in this drink. However, non-alcoholic whiskey usually has only 1-2g of added sugar, except in rare circumstances. Stirrings Simple Old Fashioned cocktail blend has 17g of sugar per 2 oz - but you won’t need that much for this lower-sugar mocktail.
Ingredients
1 sprig of rosemary, cut into smaller pieces
3 oz non-alcoholic whiskey (any brand)
1 oz Stirrings Old Fashioned cocktail blend
4-5 dashes alcohol-free Oak Aged New Orleans Bitters
Orange slices for garnish
Preparation
Place rosemary on a flame-proof surface and using a match or kitchen torch, light it on fire until it’s burning.
Place your cocktail glass over top of the rosemary to extinguish the flames; leave it there until you’re finished the drink preparation.
In a mixing glass, add non-alcoholic whiskey, Stirrings Old Fashioned blend and bitters.
Stir until chilled.
Flip your cocktail glass over, add a square of ice and pour your mixture over top of it.
Enjoy!
Smoked Rosemary Non-Alcoholic Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1 sprig of rosemary, cut into smaller pieces
- 3 oz non-alcoholic whiskey (any brand)
- 1 oz Stirrings Old Fashioned cocktail blend
- 4-5 dashes alcohol-free Oak Aged New Orleans Bitters
- Orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- Place rosemary on a flame-proof surface and using a match or kitchen torch, light it on fire until it’s burning.
- Place your cocktail glass over top of the rosemary to extinguish the flames; leave it there until you’re finished the drink preparation.
- In a mixing glass, add non-alcoholic whiskey, Stirrings Old Fashioned blend and bitters.
- Stir until chilled.
- Flip your cocktail glass over, add a square of ice and pour your mixture over top of it.
Notes
Total Added Sugar: 8.5g
