Black Orchard Old Fashioned leans into depth without losing its edge. ZingBing Syrup brings a layered sweetness—ginger up front, cherry just behind—while bourbon anchors the drink with warmth and structure. Angostura adds familiar spice, and black walnut bitters round everything out with a subtle, nutty richness that lingers on the finish.
It drinks darker than a classic Old Fashioned, but more defined—sweetness sharpened by bite, fruit grounded by bitterness. The result is balanced, composed, and just a little unexpected without straying from what makes the original work.
Black Orchard Old Fashioned
Dark fruit, sharpened.
A classic, adjusted.
At its heart, this is still an Old Fashioned. The structure doesn’t change—spirit, sugar, bitters—but the syrup shifts the balance.
ZingBing replaces the sugar cube with something that already carries contrast. Ginger adds lift, cherry adds depth, and together they give the drink more shape before the bourbon even enters the glass. The role of the bitters becomes more important here, not less. Angostura keeps the drink grounded in its original profile, while black walnut adds a layer that softens and deepens without getting in the way.
Building the drink in the glass.
Like any Old Fashioned, this comes down to control more than complexity. Start with the syrup and bitters so they integrate fully. Once the ice goes in, the pour and stir should be deliberate—just enough to chill and slightly dilute, but not enough to flatten the edges. The goal is to keep the progression intact: ginger up front, cherry through the middle, bourbon and spice on the finish.
The orange peel isn’t just garnish here. Warming it before expressing pulls out a deeper, slightly caramelized citrus oil that sits on top of the drink and ties everything together.
Where it lands.
It drinks darker than a classic Old Fashioned, but more structured—sweetness held in check, not leading the way. When it’s balanced, the drink moves cleanly:
- bright ginger heat at the front
- cherry and bourbon through the center
- warm spice and walnut lingering at the end
What I typically serve with it.
This is the version I pair with my Lomo Saltado. The ginger in the syrup leans into the aromatics in the stir-fry instead of competing with them, while the black walnut bitters echo the nuttiness in the coconut rice. It ends up feeling cohesive across the plate—nothing fighting for attention, everything reinforcing the same flavor direction.
It also holds up well alongside grilled or roasted meats, or with darker, nut-forward desserts—but it’s at its best when it’s part of a full build rather than standing on its own.
You’ll find the full method outlined below. The process is simple, but the details matter—small adjustments in dilution, expression, and balance are what make this version work.
Black Orchard Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 0.25 oz ZingBing simple syrup (click for recipe)
- 2 dashes Angostura® bitters
- 1 dash Fee Brothers® Black Walnut bitters
- 1 ice sphere
- 1 whole Filthy® cherry
- 2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
Instructions
- In an Old Fashioned (rocks) glass, add ¼ oz ZingBing simple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, and 1 dash Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters.
- Add ice sphere to glass and pour 2 oz bourbon over sphere.
- With your bar spoon, stir contents of glass to chill the cocktail.
- With a vegetable peeler (or knife), remove an inch-wide section of an orange peel. Be sure not to cut past the pith (white part) so that the flesh of the orange isn't exposed.
- Strike a match and gently heat the orange part of the rind with the flame for 5-10 seconds.
- While holding match between the glass and the peel, give the rind a gentle squeeze to express the oil; the citrus oil will flame and settle onto the drink.
- Take the orange side of the peel and rub along the rim of the glass—this will ensure the remaining oil will flavor and scent the entire rim; place orange peel in glass.
- Skewer a Filthy® cherry with a garnish pick and toss in glass alongside the peel.
