Banana-Infused Rum Old-Fashioned

If you order an old-fashioned at a bar, chances are you’re expecting a whiskey cocktail. But seeing a rum old-fashioned recipe is not so unlikely. Take a glance at bartending books both classic and contemporary, and you’ll discover there’s no fixed recipe for the drink. The name refers to the method of preparation: A base spirit is softened and enhanced by the addition of sweetener, bitters, and citrus. An old-fashioned cocktail can be built with bourbon, mezcal, tequila—or any spirit you like (yes, even gin). Rum is my personal favorite—it has the depth of the more common rye old-fashioned but with lighter notes of flowers and fruit. It’s an easy way to put a fresh spin on an aged rum I’d otherwise drink neat.

When I want to bring in some extra tropical flair, I replace the usual simple syrup or sugar cube with a dash of banana-infused rum. Often associated with tiki cocktail recipes or frozen drinks, I find the cordial shines in spirit-forward preparations. You can make it yourself by soaking dried banana chips in the spirit for at least one week. But if you just can’t wait, use a high-quality banana liqueur such as Tempus Fugit, Giffard, or Marie Brizard. Either way, a good banana booze is a fun addition to any home bar—and equally delicious as a replacement for the sugar syrup in a daiquiri. (Prefer to skip the banana? Sub in ¼ oz. demerara syrup.) 

A one-two punch of bitters (in the form of Angostura aromatic bitters and orange bitters) adds subtle, fragrant notes of allspice and cardamom. I finish the drink with an orange twist, but I don’t slip it into the drink since I only want the peel’s oils, not the extra bitterness that would seep into the glass as it rests in the liquid.