The Old Fashioned Turtle

Let’s have a toast to Turtle with one of the tastier tipples that has tickled my tonsils this season. Many will be familiar with the Old Fashioned, that original cocktail of whiskey, water, sweet and bitter. It returns again and again, because it never left. It’s slow and steady. Classically made with bourbon or rye and a bitters soaked sugar cube, the Old Fashioned is ripe for reinterpretation and revision. In other words, lets muddle it.

Daddy made whiskey and he made it well, cost two dollars and burned like hell. - Grateful Dead, Brown Eyed Girl

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is it homeless or naked? - George Carlin

Many will also be familiar with the turtle candy – that irresistible clump of chocolate covered caramel and pecans that’s sort of shaped like a turtle. Here’s the adult version, which I say ingenuously since I love candy too. But if we deconstruct the candy, we can find some common cocktail correlates. First of all the base spirit should be a nicely sweet bourbon – it’s not exactly corn syrup, but not too far off, either. For the nuts, we have orgeat, a delicious nut syrup (traditionally from almonds, but a pecan version is just perfect here) typically found in tiki cocktails. For chocolate, there are many, many options, but I chose to keep it subtle by using chocolate bitters, which also balance and ground the drink. Finally, I went for the ultimate flavor boost by making a salted caramel syrup. I must say, this one is delicious. It’s an Old Fashioned toast to this technological terrapin treat. Cheers!

Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait. - Grateful Dead, Uncle John's Band

Trip and sip

The Old Fashioned Turtle

2 oz bourbon

1/3 oz pecan orgeat

1/3 oz salted caramel syrup

2 dashes chocolate bitters

Stir ingredients over ice and strain into a favorite glass. Enjoy with or without pants.