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A Little Smoke

Image may contain Alcohol Beverage Liquor Glass Bottle Cosmetics Perfume and Tequila
Photo by Paul H. Christian, Food Styling by Michele Figliuolo

Enjoy your bourbon enhanced with a touch of chocolate and sweet-and-savory spice notes. This cocktail is great with barbecue.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

Smoky Cinnamon Syrup

2

cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

½

cup sugar

1

tsp. ground smoked paprika

Cocktail

¼

oz. Smoky Cinnamon Syrup

2

dashes mole or chocolate bitters

Orange twist

Garnish: Cinnamon stick (ignited if desired)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    For the Smoky Cinnamon Syrup, add broken cinnamon sticks, sugar, smoked paprika, and ½ cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to disperse the paprika. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 4 hours. Strain out solids and store in a clean, tightly sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

    Step 2

    To make the cocktail, add bourbon, Smoky Cinnamon syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass, and fill glass ¾ full with ice. Stir for 30 seconds, then strain over ice (one big cube preferred) into a double old fashioned glass. Express orange peel over cocktail and rub on the rim of the glass, then discard peel. Garnish with smoking cinnamon stick.