It’s that time of year when the days are still short and the nights are still chilly and it feels like we’ll all be cold forever. But spring is right on the horizon, with the first bulbs popping up and a few elusive glimmering rays of sun to renew us and remind us that warmer days are on their way.
And for cocktail fans, the changing of seasons means moving to a different style of drink. While we’ll still be enjoying the cozy delights of whiskey and warm drinks, we’ll be looking to lighter, fruitier flavors and sweet, indulgent delights. It’s not time to shove your whisky to the back of your bar just yet, but you might want to start bringing out the gin and thinking about spritz options as we approach those warmer months.
For now, the whisky brand Monkey Shoulder has got in ahead of the arrival of spring with its sweet cocktail suggestions, embracing flavors like banana and caramel which match well with whisky notes and also fit with the changing mood. These two Old Fashioned variations add in extra sweet flavors and fun garnishes to cheer on the warmer days and to look ahead to the pleasures of spring.
Banana Peel Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Monkey Shoulder
- 1/4 part rich Banana simple syrup
- 3 dashes black walnut bitters
Method:
Stir, pour over ice, and add banana for garnish
Salted Honey Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Monkey Shoulder
- 1/2 part honey syrup
- 3 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 strip orange peel
Method:
Combine ice and ingredients in mixing glass. Stir for 15 seconds.
Strain over fresh ice in DOF/Rocks glass. Garnish with orange peel.
