Every Monday night at NSB’s number one cocktail spot, The Bounty Bar, You become the Mixologist!

On Craft Your Own Old Fashioned Nights, with just a swipe of a pen, you decide on each ingredient that will go into your own personal twist of a Classic Cocktail. You choose your base liquor out of 8 premium spirits; pick one out of 7 different types of bitters (aka the bartender’s salt &pepper) and select one of 4 lush sweeteners. If you don’t know which way to go just ask your friends here at Bounty and they will lead the way to a happy tongue.

One of my personal favorite combinations is Crown Royal XO Whisky, Black Walnut Bitters and Demerara Syrup. It is like a tropical oasis in your old fashioned with notes of coconut, rich nuttiness and burnt sugar. Orange peel and luxardo cherry to add the finishing touches on what is best referred to as lovin’ in a glass.

For only $10 you can personalize your own favorite premium Old Fashioned. I’ve listed every Spirit, Bitter and Sweetener with useful information and flavor profiles. Feel free to use this blog post as a reference guide on Monday night. Enjoy the fun behind building flavor combinations to create a drink you’ll love forever.

Drink well and be happy!

XoXo CocktailsWithKatie

Flavor Guide for Craft your own Old Fashioned

SPIRIT

• Crown Royal Deluxe Whisky:  This blend of 50 full bodied Canadian whiskies is known as the standard of excellence for the Great White North. The flavor profile smooth and creamy with hints of oak and vanilla.
• Crown Royal XO Whisky: This signature blend of 50 Canadian whiskies is matured in used cognac barrels, which gives Crown XO to it’s complex character.  Smooth with notes of vanilla, dried fruit, coconut and french oak.
• Zacapa 23: Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 is a premium solera aged rum from Guatemala. During the solera aging process, rum is transferred from different types of barrels over time.  Used sherry barrels and used american whiskey barrels gives this rum a beautiful flavor filled with leather, dried fruit, butterscotch, nutmeg, coffee and cinnamon.
• Glenmorangie 10 yr: This beautiful scotch is floral with  peach, honey, malt and orchard fruit not. Not Smokey at all!
• Bulleit Bourbon: A solid Kentucky Bourbon, this high rye bourbon posses a gentle spiciness with maple, oak, nutmeg leading to a light toffee flavored dry finish.
• Bulleit Rye: A signature spicy rye whiskey with vanilla and honey flavor followed by a crisp clean finish.
• Don Julio Anejo: This Tequila, from Jalisco Mexico, is aged for 18 months in American white-oak barrels. It is a perfect balance between wood, agave and vanilla. On the nose there are citrus notes. On the palate are flavors of cooked agave, oak infused butterscotch and honey.
• Johnnie Walker Double Black: This scotch is a blend of whisky from Scotland’s west coast and Islay single malts, which is why this spirit is oh so smokey! The barrels used in the maturation process are heavily charred to create a rich character. Malty and Smokey overall.

BITTERS

• Angostura Bitters: Made in Trinidad from with herbs, spice and bark. This classic posses bitter and earthy character.
• Orange Bitters: Orange peel forward.
• Chocolate Bitters: Dark Chocolate character.
• Grapefruit Bitters: Grapefruit zest flavor.
• Dale Degroff’s Bitters: Allspice notes.
• Black Walnut Bitters: Rich and nutty flavor.
• Peychaud’s bitters: Cherry and anise, and my personal favorite type of bitters.

SWEETNER

• Agave Nectar: Derived from the agave plant. A roasted sweet flavor that is famously rich.
• Simple Syrup: Liquid Sugar. The recipe is equal parts water to sugar. It is just that simple. Pun intended.
• Sugar Cube: For those who like a little crunch in their old fashioned.  Once muddled the sugar cube becomes equivalent to granulated sugar. Adds a clean sweetness.
• Demerara Syrup: A lush partially refined light brown cane sugar coming originally from Guyana.