Non-Alcoholic Maple Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 2 ozAlcohol-Free Whiskey
• ½ tspPure maple syrup
• 3–4 dashesAromatic bitters (alcohol-free available)
• 1Large ice cube
• GarnishOrange peel, quality cherry (optional)

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How to Make It

1. Add the maple syrup and bitters to a rocks glass and stir to combine.
2. Add the alcohol-free whiskey and stir again.
3. Add one large ice cube and stir gently for 15–20 seconds to chill and slightly dilute.
4. Express the orange peel over the surface, rub it around the rim, and drop it in.
5. Add a good cherry if you like.

Why This Works

The Old Fashioned formula — spirit, sweet, bitter — is the simplest proof that a cocktail is more than its parts. Swapping sugar for maple isn't a gimmick: maple's caramel and woodsmoke notes are cousins of the barrel notes in whiskey, so the sweetener reinforces the spirit instead of just sweetening it.

The single large cube is functional. Less surface area means slower melt, which means the drink stays strong and cold for the long sipping this format is meant for. And the expressed orange peel is half the experience — those oils on the surface are the first thing you taste, every time.