Mixology at Home - Japanese Apple-Cinnamon Old Fashioned

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - An old fashioned is easy to make - bourbon, rye or even scotch, bitters and a sugar cube or simple syrup. But it can get old, having the same old … old fashioned.

You can really mix it up by introducing different syrups, as we have done on Mixology at Home -- brown sugar syrup, cinnamon syrup, and Chinese five spice syrup. Change the syrup and type of liquor, and you can have an entirely different drink.

For this treat, we use a Japanese whisky (Suntory Toki) and homemade apple-cinnamon syrup. Japanese whisky

We don’t have a fancy name, so we just call it a Japanese Apple-Cinnamon Old Fashioned.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Japanese whisky
• ¾ oz apple-cinnamon syrup (you can add to your taste)
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• Apple chips or cherries for garnish

Directions: In a mixing glass with ice, add two ounces of whisky, a half ounce of apple-cinnamon syrup (you can add more if you want it sweeter or less, depending on your taste). Three dashes of orange bitters but again, to your taste. Stir for about 20 seconds and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube; and garnish with apple chips or cherries. We’re using Fuji apple chips to stick with our Japanese theme.

A note on syrups

Just because you use syrups in cocktails doesn’t mean that’s all they’re good for. Depending on the flavor, they can be used as marinades, over ice cream, pancakes, and waffles.

The apple-cinnamon syrup can be heated and drizzled over pancakes or waffles. Cold, it can go on ice cream. Save the apple slices from when you make the syrup and they can be added to the ice cream as well. Crumble the apple chips and sprinkle them over the top of your ice cream treat.

The Chinese five spice syrup I used a couple of weeks ago is a great marinade for duck or pork. We marinated it overnight and then grilled the duck.

Apple-Cinnamon Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

Directions: Slice apple (relatively thin slices) and place in a medium-sized saucepan with water, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Bring ingredients to a boil over medium heat; then simmer for five minutes, stirring periodically. Allow syrup to cool, remove the apple slices and strain the syrup into a bottle. It can be stored in a refrigerator or at room temperature (it will last longer in the fridge). You can also save the apple slices to top ice cream or pancakes/waffles.

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