Discover a unique twist on a classic with the Spruce Tip Old Fashioned. This cocktail infuses bourbon with the bright, citrusy flavor of spruce tip syrup, adding a refreshing and aromatic note. Garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of lemon, it's a delightful way to bring a touch of wilderness to your cocktail experience.
What are Spruce Tips?
Spruce tips are the bright green ends of spruce tree branches that emerge in early spring or summer. In my neck of the woods, spruce tip season is in early summer.
You can find them at lower elevations in early spring. Young spruce tips are ideal for cooking because they can become bitter the older they are. If you've never tried them, the flavor of spruce tips can be quite surprising. They have a fruity, fresh flavor reminiscent of some hops used for beer.
As with any wild plants, it's important to identify the plant correctly and also not to take more than you need. When removing spruce tips, don't remove all of the tips from one tree, don't remove them from the tops of trees, and don't take them all from one area of the tree to allow for future growth.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Unique Flavor: While this drink is not truly an "old fashioned," it has similar elements: bourbon, simple syrup, an herbaceous element, and a citrus twist. The spruce tip syrup adds a bright, citrusy twist that elevates the classic old fashioned.
Perfect Balance: The combination of the bold, smoky bourbon with the fresh, citrusy spruce creates a well-balanced flavor profile.
Visual Appeal: Garnished with a rosemary sprig and a lemon twist, it's as beautiful as it is delicious.
Ingredients
- Bourbon: The flavor, body, smoothness, and more vary widely between types of bourbon. You can use whatever bourbon suits your palate best!
- Spruce Tip Simple Syrup: Spruce tip syrup can be made by harvesting spruce tips in the spring. If you don't have them in your area or you missed the boat this year, you can also buy spruce tip syrup online or sometimes at local farmers' markets.
- Garnishes: The lemon twist enhances the citrusy flavor of the spruce tip syrup while the fresh rosemary adds to the herbaceous aroma. The pairing of the two creates the perfect garnishes for this drink!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This delicious twist on a classic drink comes together in less than 5 minutes! Read below for how to make it.
- Step 1: Pour bourbon into a rocks glass.
- Step 2: Stir in spruce tip simple syrup with a spoon.
- Step 3: Place lemon twist directly in the drink.
- Step 4: Carefully add a large ice cube to the glass.
- Step 5: Place the rosemary sprig on top of the ice cube.
- Step 6: While you take a drink, you can taste the spruce tip syrup while you smell the fresh rosemary on top of the drink. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
Let the rosemary float on top of the ice cube to inhale the aroma as you take a sip.
Variations
- Maple: Replace some of the spruce tip syrup with real maple syrup for a rich, earthy sweetness.
- Citrus: Enhance the citrus notes by adding a few dashes of orange bitters and garnishing with both lemon and orange peels for a bright, zesty flavor.
- Smoky: Use a smoky whiskey and smoked bitters to add a deeper, campfire-like flavor to the cocktail.
Serving Suggestions
While this cocktail is made with seasonal spring ingredients, it makes an excellent warming winter cocktail as well. This unique cocktail pairs well with a variety of appetizers like venison crostini, smoked trout, duck confit, and more.
It can also be paired with desserts like pecan pie or shortbread cookies. Enjoy this unique cocktail however you please!
FAQ
Spruce tips are often used to flavor syrup. The syrup can be used as a base for many recipes like cocktails, desserts, and savory dishes. They can also be used to make spruce tip salt, spruce tip vinegar, spruce tip jelly, and more!
Spruce tips have a fresh, fruity flavor reminiscent of some hops used for beer. The flavor changes depending on how old the spruce tips are.
Spruce tips can be used as an herb in cooking. It can also be made into spruce tip syrup or other dishes.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
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Recipe
Spruce Tip Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz spruce tip simple syrup
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon twist
Instructions
- Pour bourbon into a rocks glass.
- Stir in spruce tip simple syrup with a spoon.
- Place lemon twist directly in the drink.
- Carefully add a large ice cube to the glass.
- Place the rosemary sprig on top of the ice cube.
- While you take a drink, you can taste the spruce tip syrup while you smell the fresh rosemary on top of the drink. Enjoy!
Notes
- The flavor, body, smoothness, and more vary widely between types of bourbon. You can use whatever bourbon suits your palate best!
- Spruce tip syrup can be made by harvesting spruce tips in the spring. If you don't have them in your area or you missed the boat this year, you can also buy spruce tip syrup online or sometimes at local farmers' markets.
- The lemon twist enhances the citrusy flavor of the spruce tip syrup while the fresh rosemary adds to the herbaceous aroma. The pairing of the two creates the perfect garnishes for this drink!
- Let the rosemary float on top of the ice cube to inhale the aroma as you take a sip.
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