A classy rum Old Fashioned for St Patrick’s Day

If you don’t fancy beer or whiskey for celebrating St Patrick’s Day today, the you can also try out the fun and wide world of green colored cocktails to stay on theme whilst exploring different flavors.

One way to add green hues to your drink is to make use of matcha, which adds a fun color as well as a rich, grass flavor that adds depth and complexity to drinks.

This recipe features matcha syrup, which is made by combining matcha powder with water and sugar for a thicker texture which is suitable for making cocktails. It’s a simple Old Fashioned variation which uses rum from Zacapa and bitters as well as the matcha syrup, resulting in a drink which is classy and understated, but still complex thanks to the interplay of rum and matcha flavors.

Zacapa Matcha Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Zacapa No. 23
• 0.25 oz Matcha Syrup*
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters

Method:

1. Pour Matcha Syrup in Old Fashioned glass and saturate with the Orange Bitters and Zacapa Rum.
2. Then fill the glass with ice cubes (or one large cube) and stir gently.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

*Matcha Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups cane sugar

Method:

1. Add matcha to the pot, then sugar.
2. Whisk together to mix, then add water.
3. Bring all to boil in a sauce pan. Stir gently so as to break up the matcha. Then reduce heat and stir for about 3 minutes.
4. Let cool then pour into glass jar. Keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks.